Why are all the restaurants closed on V day?

Are many stores and restaurants closed on Christmas Day in San Francisco?

• I will be traveling to San Francisco on Christmas day this year. I'll arrive in the early afternoon and am staying in Union Square. Can I expect the majority of stuff to be closed that day due to the holiday?

• Answer:

  What I've found around here is that most ethnic places (especially those that relate to ethnicities that do not generally celebrate Christmas or don't celebrate it on December 25th) are open. You should have no trouble finding Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Jewish, Thai or Indian stores, restaurants, or delis that are open (and I doubt that's an exhaustive list). If you're in Union Square, best bet is to just head towards Chinatown. Large supermarkets (Safeway, Whole Foods) will also be open, but with limited holiday hours. Movie theaters are always open, as are most souvenir shops. Otherwise, you can expect most traditional retail establishments (anything you find in the mall, for example) to be closed. San Francisco is a very diverse city, so don't worry about getting a bite (or even many bites) to eat, or finding some entertainment. I wouldn't plan on doing lots of shopping that day though.