TheBalm Opens Shop in San Francisco

The real estate and restaurant scene in San Francisco’s Mission District — The Mission, to natives — has a decidedly different feel today than it did several years ago with upscale renters and sought-after restaurateurs descending on the neighborhood, but retail in the area has yet to really pop. TheBalm hopes to be at the forefront of The Mission’s retail surge.

On Thursday, the San Francisco-based cosmetics brand officially opened its first store in an intimate 733-square-foot space at 788 Valencia Street on a block known for its food (Tacolicious, The Abbot’s Cellar, Craftsman and Wolves, and Dandelion Chocolates are culinary standouts). TheBalm founder and chief executive officer Marissa Shipman realizes she’s taking a risk by locating there and that appeals to an entrepreneur repeatedly accused of being crazy for establishing the brand in 2004.