Spicing Up 3rd Street: Meet Bonnie and Sarah Gemmell of Spicer Bags

Bonnie and Sarah Gemmell are the mother-daughter team behind Spicer Bags. They are shown here in their manufacturing facility at the American Industrial Center in Dogpatch. Their new retail store is opening at street level in the complex.

For many months we passed by the construction at the American Industrial Center (AIC) on 3rd Street and hoped that the new storefronts being carved out of the existing brick walls would bring more retail to 3rd Street.

We enjoy the bars and restaurants in our vibrant neighborhood but boy it sure would be great to have a place where one could pick up a gift bag for that bottle of wine from Dogpatch Wineworks or a last minute birthday card or hostess gift.  We already knew that the flaky goodies from Neighbor Bakehouse would finally have a permanent home in one of the four new spaces but we were excited to find that a current tenant of the AIC would be expanding into one of the storefronts and that this tenant would offer a line of retail products. 

Spicer Bags will officially open at 2341 3rd Street on Saturday, December 6 -- just in time for the annual Dogpatch Warehouse Sale.  The new shop will be called Spicer on 3rd and will carry not only the company's line of totes and bags that have been long been cult favorites, but also a selection of curated items such as ceramics, furniture, gift bags and paper products.  And like their bags, all the products are from companies that manufacture in the U.S.

Although Spicer Bags has been around for more than 14 years, the shop on 3rd is a new beginning of sorts for the company and for the new owners, Bonnie and Sarah Gemmell, the mother and daughter who bought the company in 2013 from the founder and designer of the company -- the late Sally Spicer Rankine.

Some of the products from Spicer Bags made from innovative materials like cork. All are made in the Dogpatch neighborhood in San Francisco, CA.

We met with Bonnie and Sarah in their studio on the second floor of the AIC -- almost directly above their new storefront.  In contrast to the yet to be filled storefront, their studio space was packed to the ceiling with textiles and manufacturing equipment.  Sarah is the COO and is in charge of all operations and the constant trouble shooting that occurs in a small business with lots of moving pieces.  Bonnie brings her many years of retail, catalog and small business expertise to Spicer Bags as the CEO.

Why do you do what you do?

We both have a love of well-designed products.  And we are long time entrepreneurs and supporters of products that are manufactured in the U.S.  In 2012 we found out through a mutual friend of Sally Spicer that Sally was being forced to shut down Sally Spicer Bags because of her health issues.  It made us so sad that after all her hard work she was facing the loss of her business and the legacy that she had been building for her son. We were amazed that with very little marketing effort she had build an incredible fan base for her bags. 

We were both looking for our next project and we weren't afraid of the challenge.  We knew we had to buy the business to keep it going.  We were ready to take on the challenge of not only keeping Sally Spicer Bags open for business, but also the challenge of expanding the core business and looking into new marketing opportunities.  

We had lots of marketing experience but absolutely no manufacturing experience!  But we jumped in and although we kept the best sellers, we tightened the offerings and redesigned the bags where needed.  We have assured our existing customers that if a favorite bag is no longer offered on our website, we can still make it for them if they request it.  We also added a cork line that has a very modern feel to it.

When customers started showing up at our manufacturing space requesting to buy the bags here, we realized we might have an opportunity to keep a retail space busy.  We starting pestering the AIC folks about what might happen with the retail space they had been talking about building out.  They agreed to build one out for us.

We go to a lot of trade shows and had discovered some amazing people who were designing and manufacturing great products in the U.S. We always said if we had a retail space we already knew what products we would want to sell.  We decided that the retail space would sell not only our bags, but also a curated selection of these products we had discovered.  Some of the products we will have include easy to open water bottles manufactured from recycled aluminum cans from Liberty Bottleworks, a furniture company located in the Outer Richmond called Anzfer Farms, ceramics from Portland-based Pigeon Toe Ceramics and many more fun products including dog collars and leashes!

We will now have two businesses that each have their own website -- Spicer Bags and Spicer on 3rd.  We like that if all goes well we could possibly open other Spicer retail locations in other areas.  We will continue to offer Spicer Bags through other retail outlets as well as through the Spicer Bags website.  We have two employees and hope to add one more to staff Spicer on 3rd. 

Why Dogpatch?

Well, Spicer Bags was of course already manufacturing in the neighborhood when we bought the business.  And the two employees who worked with Sally stayed with us and were comfortable with the neighborhood.  We didn't see any need to make a location change.  And we loved the vibe of the neighborhood.  It felt like so much was happening here and was only going to get busier.  We are always discovering something new.  We want to be part of that growth. 

What would you be doing if you weren't doing this?

Bonnie -- I would be an organic farmer!  I grew up on a farm in Ohio and I love my tomatoes!

Sarah -- as the "nerd" in the family I've always been drawn towards product technology -- the user interface design part.  I would probably be working in a technology company that was developing the next great App!

Bonnie and Sarah:  "and this is why we work well together"!

Sculpting a Colorful Career: Meet Artist Tina Frey of Tina Frey Designs

Tina Frey at the Tina Frey Designs showroom and studio in Dogpatch, San Francisco, CA. 

We had lived in Dogpatch almost three years before we stumbled upon the lovely and practically microscopic park on the short stub of Minnesota Street between 23rd and 24th Streets.  We were also amazed to see several shops on that same stretch. We previously thought these were only home to renovation warehouses and the ever tempting popcorn warehouse.  Alas, the shop window we pressed our noses against, Tina Frey Designs: Modern Designs in Resin, was not open to the general public.  Until now.

Now the colorful resin bowls, cake plates, trays, furniture, jewelry and so much more that were just out of our reach are now available for purchase direct from the Tina Frey showroom.  Although her designs had previously been available for sale via her website as well as through various retail locations such as Barneys, SFMOMA and the De Young Museum, her showroom on Minnesota is the only place to find her entire collection.

The ground floor is a study in controlled chaos with the products being ready to be wrapped and boxed then shipped to their new homes.  In marked contrast, the product showroom up an open staircase was a burst of color and extremely organized.

Zoe -- one of Tina Frey's dogs, announced our arrival from the top of the stairs with a friendly bark.  Upstairs, our eyes feasted on the colorful designs as well as the soothing gray, white and black designs displayed against neutral backdrops.  A sense of playfulness infuses many of the items including the wonder woman cuff bracelets and the domes and covered dishes with bunny ears for handles that we discovered were inspired by owner Tina Frey's childhood bunnies -- fluffy and puffy.  One long table held an unfinished red-clay colored bowl;  a work in progress. 

Adjacent to the second floor showroom was a studio workspace for Frey and her three full-time and two part-time employees. 

Tableware at Tina Frey Designs in Dogpatch, San Francisco, CA.

Why do you do what you do?

It is so rewarding and even emotional for me to see a vision I have for a design take shape and become an actual product. 

But my parents encouraged me to pursue a profession that would support me financially.  Being an artist and working in all types of mediums was always just something that was a part of my identity and came easy to me but I didn't consider it as a career path.

I was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Canada.  I majored in biology and chemistry but a summer job measuring the fat content in foods at a major grocery store chain convinced me to get an additional degree in accounting.  I worked at Ernest & Young in Canada then a job in managed health care brought me to San Francisco in 1997.  Eventually I decided to pursue a finance job in an industry that actually interested me so I joined Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) which is an umbrella group for many prestigious luxury brands.   I eventually moved to New York City with that company and then to Guam.

One night I found myself in a Walmart in Guam buying roach traps for my apartment when I decided that while Guam was a lovely country, it was too small for me and I decided to first return to San Francisco and then make a move to London to look for a new job.  That was on September 9, 2001. 

When 9/11 happened I couldn't get a flight out so I decided to stay in San Francisco.  I worked in finance for several local companies including Levi Strauss, The Gap and Red Envelope.  In 2007 I was working at a retail start up that was acquired when after encouragement from my husband, I decided to take some time off and really evaluate what I wanted to do next.

Through my various jobs in finance I had never stopped being an artist.  At the time I started thinking about my next career move, I had been reading books on using resin in sculpting.  I knew I was going to make design my new career although I didn't know what products I would design.  In fact, I designed my logo -- a rabbit inspired by the rabbits I kept as a child -- and came up with the name Tina Frey Designs before I knew what my first product would be.  And I knew my designs would be modern yet organic which to me means clean and simple but not perfect.

I design and hand sculpt each piece here in my studio.  Once I finalize a design, molds are fabricated and then the designs are individually cast and sanded by hand.  One of the first things I did when I started my design firm was to find craftsmen in China to make the molds and the products for me. 

In July 2007 I exhibited at the San Francisco Gift Show.  It was hilarious -- I was surrounded by  vendors exhibiting a wide assortment of products and I only had two styles of bowls in four colors.  I didn't even know how to take an order.  But I did sell product that day and in fact met the buyers from SFMOMA who still carry my products.  I get my design ideas from my travels, magazines, blogs -- I never lack for ideas -- my head is always full of ideas and images.

Even though there was interest in my products and I was selling to the trade, wholesale and eventually direct from my website, I still worked part time in finance for a messenger bag company called Timbuk2. I funded my design business that way and slowly cut back my time there until I was certain my design business was self-sustaining.

Why Dogpatch?

Initially I worked out of my house -- products were everywhere.  I had a small studio in Activspace in the Mission then moved to a studio in Potrero hill in 2012.  When I outgrew that space the landlord, who also owned this building, suggested I take a look here.

I already knew about the neighborhood through Mark Dwight of Rickshaw Bagworks whom I met through Timbuktu.

I think there are so many undiscovered people doing so many interesting things in this neighborhood.



Note:  Tina Frey Designs is located at 1278 Minnesota Street and is open Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm and Saturday noon-5 pm. 

A Very Sound Venture: Meet Katie and John Fones of Cellars33

John and Katie Fones of Cellars33 at their Dogpatch Winery. 

Freshly baked bread and popcorn.  These were the smells that greeted us as we entered Cellars33, a winery located on Minnesota Street.  We expected the smell of yeast but popcorn?  But perhaps that comes with the territory when you open a winery in an urban environment and your neighbor is Thatcher's Gourmet Popcorn.

Inside the 20,000 square foot facility we were greeted by owners --  and husband and wife -- Katie and John Fones.  Cellars33 shares the space with four other wineries:  Roar Wines, Von Holt Wines and August West Wine with John Fones the winemaker for his Cellars33 as well as Von Holt Wines.

Despite the harvest season being over, the huge space was buzzing with activity as the wineries completed off-season housekeeping chores as well as prepared to fill upcoming holiday orders. The move from their former location in Bayview to Dogpatch was completed in September 2012 but with rows of tanks and wine barrels consuming all available space it made us wonder if additional space might be needed soon.

Why do you do what you do?

John Fones:

Love of life.  For 16 years I was a criminal defense attorney in Baltimore, where I grew up.  About eight years ago several good friends passed away.  Then my mentor passed away as he walked up the courthouse steps.

I realized that time is short.  You always think you have tomorrow but that's not true.
Katie and I have always loved wine and we had a lot of friends in California who we thought could help us make the transition.  We owe a big debt to them. 

So we decided to move to California.  I studied wine making at UC Davis and interned at Freeman Winery.  I then became an assistant at Roar and August West.  The goal was always to start our own label which we did in 2008 although we didn't begin selling our wine until 2010.

Although I'm the primary wine maker, Katie has an excellent palate and her input during the blending trials is critical in helping us decide which wines to focus on.

We primarily focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay -- our grapes are from Monterey and Sonoma.  We started with 100 cases in 2010 and are now at 1,000 cases. 

We primarily sell via our mail list although we are not a wine club.  We offer the wine two times a year in February and August then sell the rest to wine shops and restaurants.

Katie Fones:

We love working together.  And we didn't change our lives and move all the way to California to not see each other!  This is a very fun, cool joint venture and even though I'm still practicing family law, my goal is to eventually work full-time with John.

In addition to their specialty Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, Cellars33 also produced this 2010 Petite Syrah.

Why Dogpatch?

We love the vibe of Dogpatch -- fun things are happening here and we want to be part of it.

Finding a space big enough for a venture this big was of course critical and Dogpatch is one of the few places left in SF that not only has the space, but also affordable space. 

We are a member of SFMade and this organization has helped us so much.  They give us access to resources that we don't have such as real estate expertise.  For example, we would love to open a tasting room in 2014 and SFMade is helping us figure out how and where we could do this.  We would love for it to be in Dogpatch.

What would you be doing if you weren't doing this?

JF:
There is no other alternative to this.  We came out here to do this -- we didn't come out here to fail.

KF:
I agree and my goal is to be full-time at Cellars33.

Why did you name the winery Cellars33?

The name Cellars33 is a nod to Baltimore and to our heritage.  33rd Street was where the old Memorial Stadium was located which was also sometimes called the world's largest outdoor insane asylum.

The Details are the Design: Meet Richard Liu of DSPTCH

Richard Liu at the new company headquarters for his gear manufacturer DSPTCH in Dogpatch, San Francisco, CA. DSPTCH makes bags, camera straps and other items using military grade fabrics.

The basement office space under the Dogpatch Cafe at Third and 20th had been vacant for many months. Then we noticed that the basement stairwell that had long been the landing spot for old newspapers and other debris at the windy corner looked freshly swept.  Soon a clean, modern sign announcing the new tenant, DSPTCH, went up.

Inside, the quirky art objects that were the hallmark of the prior art gallery tenant were replaced by the deceptively simple yet functional accessories designed by company founder, Richard Liu, and manufactured in California.

The space is divided into two rooms with the back room functioning as workshop and office space for Liu and his two full-time and one part-time employees and the front space a bright, modern retail space.

Camera straps line one wall. iPad and MacBook covers hang on another.  Backpacks, or as the company calls them, Ruckpacks, and a smaller pack called a Slingpack are ready to be tried on and their many features explored. Liu's mission seems to be to not only make it easier to navigate our average day a bit easier, but also wherever our travels might take us.

Liu's passion for classic design and efficient production is obvious from a quick look at his bookcase where such books on Charles and Ray Eames and Hiroshi Sugimoto share space with books on prototyping and production and Chris Anderson's book, Makers.  It is also obvious from the vintage Steelcase Tank desk and Eames fiberglass stackable chairs as well as the Technics turntable that he believes in products that are functional and built to last.

Camera straps were the first product at DSPTCH in Dogpatch, San Francisco, CA.

Why do you do what you do?
I have a real passion to bring products to market that serve a real need.

My first product, the camera sling strap, came out of such a need.  I'm not a professional photographer but I'm not an amateur either.  I had purchased a high-end, expensive camera made in Japan.  So of course the accessories that came with the camera were also made in Japan. But the accessories, like the camera strap, were made for a shorter, Japanese body type and not for a taller guy like me.  I looked like the stereotypical tourist with the camera hitting me mid-chest when I had it around my neck!

I deserved, and my fancy new camera deserved, a better strap so I made one that not only looked good, but was also functional.  People soon started approaching me asking where they could buy one like it.

At the time I had been working in the technology industry for about nine years in marketing but I knew the large company and corporate culture wasn't my style.  But I wasn't sure what I wanted to do so I started working part time -- while still working full time -- at 3Sixteen, a raw denim and accessories company.  I built out their website and in return, they let me in on all facets of what it takes to run a business -- from creative to operations.  I got to see all the ups and downs.  I learned that having the spirit of resilience is the most important quality to have if you want to run a business -- you have to stay positive even when your tank is dry.

While I was working with them I was also tinkering with my camera strap prototype.  I failed many times.  I finally made ten and put them on a website I had created but hadn't yet finished.  A men's lifestyle magazine called Acquire heard about what I was doing and wrote about my product on their site.  I woke up to my phone buzzing and the ten camera straps I had on hand sold out in about an hour.  I called in sick to my corporate job and finished the website!  I made 25, then 50 more straps and they also sold out.

I finally decided that I might have a real company here and so I left my corporate job in January 2013 so I could dedicate myself full-time to DSPTCH.

I primarily sell to high end men's boutiques -- we have about 38 wholesale accounts now.  In San Francisco, The Darkside Initiative carries our products.

The future of our company though are our bags and we will have three new bags coming out in January 2014. 

Why Dogpatch?
Our first office was in a small space in the Mission.  I knew about Dogpatch because I have always liked going to Triple Aught Design on 22nd Street.  Dogpatch is just one of three neighborhoods left in San Francisco that are still somewhat affordable for small businesses but the creative energy in this neighborhood is unparalleled.  Design is driving so much of what is happening here so it seemed the perfect spot for DSPTCH.

What would you be doing if you weren't doing this?
I would probably be working in technology but it would have to be a small company.  I'm still passionate about technology but I would have to be working on ideas about how to make life easier for people.  I have a notebook filled with ideas!

Why did you call the company DSPTCH?
To me dispatch means the starting point before you head out on a trip or simply leave your apartment.  I want DSPTCH to provide all the gear people need whether it be travel gear or commuter gear.  We have products for you to carry the things you need every day but in a better way.

The manufacturing area at DSPTCH in Dogpatch San Francisco, CA. 

The details are not the details. They make the design.
Charles Eames
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/charles_eames.html#AftzQ8Kob9s31wk7.99

The details are not the details. They make the design.
Charles Eames
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/charles_eames.html#AftzQ8Kob9s31wk7.99

The details are not the details. They make the design.
Charles Eames
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/charles_eames.html#AftzQ8Kob9s31wk7.99