By Megan Robertson 

Eyes turned to the Richmond District Aug. 9-11, as nearby Golden Gate Park held one of the largest and most beloved music festivals in the United States, according to TimeOut. 

Just having completed its 16th year in the park, Outside Lands drew more than 200,000 people to the surrounding neighborhoods. Among the 79 groups performing, indie-rock band The Killers, “Espresso” pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter and country singer Sturgill Simpson headlined. 

As festivalgoers flocked to the neighborhoods, local businesses ramped up for what was expected to be one of the busiest weekends of the year. However, this year, the festival seems to be marked by mixed perceptions from local business owners, with it greatly expanding sales for some, and bringing in less than expected for others.  

Jose M. Castillo has been the owner of Cielito Lindo on Balboa Street for six years. Historically, Outside Lands is one of the best weekends for this Mexican restaurant. 

“Outside Lands is a great thing. I wait for it every year,” Castillo said. “I see a bunch of people coming from different states, and from Spain and England. But this year, that was different. It wasn’t as good for business in the neighborhood this year.”

Castillo noticed a 40% decrease in anticipated sales for the weekend. Typically, the restaurant is packed every day of the festival. This year, they saw business staggered toward the beginning and end of each day. 

Next door to Castillo’s restaurant, neighborhood favorite Simple Pleasures noticed a similar decrease in expected sales. Ahmed Riad, owner of the coffeehouse, said that although they had many customers in the hours before the festival, the restaurant was not as busy as it typically has been throughout festival days. 

“(Outside Lands) doesn’t bring the bump that it used to bring,” Riad said. 

Riad wants festivalgoers to be allowed re-entry into the park, thereby allowing them to leave the festival when they want to support local businesses between artists’ sets. 

“I think we should allow people to walk in and out. Because it really brings business … and the cost of operating in the city is horrendously expensive. We really do need the bump we can get,” he said. 

For other businesses in the Richmond, Outside Lands was quite productive for sales. 

Purple Kow has been a staple in the Richmond since 2011, best known for its organic boba and fried chicken. Manager Eric Lam said the shop is typically quite busy every time Outside Lands rolls around. This year was no exception, with the first two days of the festival especially packing the restaurant. Despite the rush, Lam said he enjoyed the connections he was able to make with out-of-town festivalgoers new to the area. 

“It was nice talking to people,” Lam said. “Everybody’s happy for the event. It’s good vibes.” 

Some Richmond District businesses were able to increase their profits during Outside Lands by selling food directly inside the festival grounds in Golden Gate Park, as part of their “Taste of the Bay” pop-ups. 

Batches Bakehouse, on Fourth Avenue at Clement Street, opened this year. Owner Ashlee Thompson got the opportunity at the last minute to have a Batches booth in the festival. 

“It was crazy,” she said. “We ended up having to go buy a new freezer because we needed more space to store things.” 

Thompson found the festival to be a great success, as they sold out in the park every day, meanwhile having lines down the block at their Inner Richmond location. 

“Being in this neighborhood has been so wonderful, so to have a festival that’s in the neighborhood is very nice,” she said. “50-70% of our customers are returning, and so to see those people in the park, or to help new people in the park, and then see them (at our shop) this past weekend is very, very inspiring”

Mari Quinton is a Richmond District resident who went to Outside Lands for the second time this year. From Quinton’s experience, it was much easier to eat at the “Taste of the Bay” offerings inside the park, because there were so many artists she wanted to see throughout the day. 

In addition to the official headliners, Quinton was one of thousands who camped out for artists other than just the headlining sets. 

Out of the many musicians drawing her to the festival, Quinton was especially excited to see Chappell Roan. The queer-pop sensation was scheduled for a 4 p.m. slot and ended up drawing more than 50,000 people to her set, bringing more than that evening’s headliner. Having musicians like Roan play at different times, meant that many camped at the festival all day. 

“There was never really any time to be able to leave the festival early and go get food anywhere else, so it was good that we had the option to be able to eat there,” Quinton said. 

Although local businesses had varying levels of interaction and success with the festival this year, it brought new visitors, excitement and revenue to the neighborhood. Some business owners, like Riad, want more events like Outside Lands in San Francisco, to increase both the business and the culture of the city. 

“Events and festivities make for a happier city, happier people. We need young people to come (out,)” Riad said. “You need the people who are going to come out and spend money, and hang out with their friends, and walk down the streets at night, and give the city a soul.”