They weren't paying their people much, were they?
No, they weren't paying their very limited staff much; it's a marginal business that's been on the decline for years, and even one of the managers is stated as having a salary of only $28k. All of this is in the article.
>managers is stated as having a salary of only $28k.
Which isn't a livable wage in SF, right? At some point businesses that can't survive cost inflation, either due to worker costs, government regulation, or energy cost must give up their space for those that can.
The manager didn't even make any money from the bookstore, it was the cafe that paid for the salary.
Not even the owner(s?) - I suspect that everyone involved including the owner could make significantly more by working even a low- to mid-range clerical job anywhere else in San Francisco.
"The change in minimum wage will mean our payroll will increase roughly 39%. That increase will in turn bring up our total operating expenses by 18%. To make up for that expense, we would need to increase our sales by a minimum of 20%. We do not believe that is a realistic possibility for a bookstore in San Francisco at this time."