Cliff’s Variety marks 90 years as Castro neighborhood anchor

Cliff’s Variety is about to reach a milestone that is bigger than a birthday for one store. Ninety years after Hilario DeBaca opened the business in Eureka Valley, the Castro institution is still drawing shoppers who come for kitchenware, tools, costume pieces, disco balls and the odd last-minute item that keeps a neighborhood outfit, party or household running.

The store first opened in 1936 at 545 Castro Street as a small shop selling magazines, cigars, sewing notions, greeting cards, toys and candy. DeBaca named it after his youngest son, Clifford. Cliff’s later moved to 515 Castro Street in 1942, then to 495 Castro Street in 1960, and again in 1971 to 479 Castro Street after rent reportedly tripled at its previous location. That history says as much about San Francisco’s cost pressures as it does about the store’s staying power.

Over the decades, Cliff’s adapted with the neighborhood around it. As the Castro grew into one of the city’s most visible LGBTQ+ corridors, the shop added wigs, heels, eyelashes, party supplies, feather boas and rhinestone tiaras to its mix. That evolution helped turn the store into more than a retail stop. It became part of the Castro’s social fabric, a place where residents could still find practical goods alongside the kinds of glittering, expressive items that match the neighborhood’s public life.

The anniversary also underscores how rare that kind of continuity has become in San Francisco. Cliff’s is described as one of the oldest family-run stores in the city and a San Francisco Legacy Business, a label that reflects both its longevity and its role in preserving a distinct commercial culture. Terry Asten Bennett, who co-owns the store, has said younger customers still value shopping in person and touching merchandise, a reminder that physical browsing still matters even as online retail reshapes how people buy everything from candles to costumes.

Cliff’s will mark the 90th anniversary with a community celebration on Saturday, June 6, featuring live music, drag performances and a raffle. Tickets will start at $5, and proceeds will benefit Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy and Castro Country Club. In a district where turnover can erase even the most familiar storefronts, Cliff’s remains a working piece of neighborhood memory, still evolving without losing the eccentric, useful spirit that made it matter in the first place.