AI smoothie shop in struggling downtown San Fran shuts down after 2 months

An artificial intelligence-run smoothie store shuttered its doors after only two months in San Francisco’s dying downtown market as businesses suffer amid a growing homeless crisis.

BetterBlends co-founders Michael Parlato and Clayton Reynolds “bet” on San Francisco, taking a chance on the dying downtown area that has been abandoned by long-standing flagship stores and corporate offices.

The co-founders said they were met with a “phenomenal” first response and many customers were happy to see a new business float into town.

But late last month a sign was taped to the glass doors, informing customers that the smoothie shop was “temporarily closed” and would reopen within an hour.

But no such return happened and the shop has remained closed for more than a month, according to The Guardian.

Sources told the British outlet that the sign had been up for weeks and by Oct. 23 the store became barren with only a few trashcans and a few plants remaining inside.

The store, which sold smoothies for $10, used AI software to help customers choose preferences before generating a smoothie recipe that the co-founders would make behind the bar.

After the apparent closing, one user wrote a review on Google, saying: “I was hopeful for this business.”

The customer also revealed the owners “did not understand the discipline” it takes to run a business and often changed business hours and closed on random days.

Christian Cecena, who works at the coffee shop next door, confirmed the owners took off and haven’t been seen since.

“It’s just sad because we really need more businesses in this area,” he told The Guardian. “I hate to say this, but I did hear that the smoothies weren’t that good.”

The Post has attempted to reach out to Parlato and Reynolds for comment. Although the owners never revealed the true reason behind their quiet exit, Market Street – where the store was located – and the surrounding area has become overrun with homeless encampments.

A local Whole Foods store made a whopping 568 emergency calls in a little over a year before shuttering its doors because of chaotic incidents that included vagrants throwing food and engaging in fights inside the store.

The calls consisted of overdoses in the bathroom and a “male with machete.”

Nordstrom’s flagship, which is also located on Market Street, had to shut down because of fentanyl “zombies” roaming around outside, among drug dealers and thieves.

Other stores like Gap, H&M, Lululemon, DSW, and more also had to close down in what became an exodus as crime and homelessness rose.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed slammed homeless activists for trying to keep people on the streets by giving them tents.

“These activists are the same people who hand out tents to keep people on the street instead of working to bring them indoors, as we are trying to do,” Breed wrote on the online platform Medium.

“And they are the same people instructing and encouraging people to refuse shelter — to remain on the street instead of going indoors. Their agenda is clear.”