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| Polk Street Store – early
1980’s |
A San Francisco tradition since 1899, Freed’s has been
a family business for all these years. We’d probably
be in the same location if our earlier premises hadn’t
been razed in the earthquake and fire of 1906. (We San Franciscans
are a bit defensive about the ’06. It was the fire that
caused most of the damage.) It was called Polk Gulch back
then, complete with underground streams. The street was paved
with bricks, and there were hitching posts along the sidewalk.
And we would probably still be in our Polk Street location
if our building hadn’t suffered from another seismic
event, the Loma Prieta of 1989. However, needing City Hall
mandated earthquake retrofitting, we realized we could not
continue to roast coffee and blend tea during the dusty activity
of construction. That brought about our move to South San
Francisco.
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| 1940’s – 2nd Generation
begins |
In the good old days, which were not always so glamorous
by all accounts, Freed’s was a wholesale tea blending
and coffee roasting company that served the whole Bay area.
We packaged olive oil, herbs and rice, too, and supplied many
of the city’s most famous restaurants. Accounts were
written with pen and ink, and deliveries were made by horse
and cart.
Well, things have changed a bit over the years. Since the
fifties, younger members of the Freed clan have transformed
the company’s direction to a completely retail and mail
order operation, but the old traditions remain the same. We
have long-standing arrangements with highly reliable tea and
coffee factors around the world and always purchase the best
beans and tea leaves available.
For generations, we at Freed’s have demonstrated an
ongoing commitment to providing a comprehensive selection
of premium tea and coffee from around the world. Now from
our new warehouse location in South San Francisco, we continue
to offer you the highest quality of goods and our highly regarded
customer service.
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| Opening Day – Polk Gulch |
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