Once a hallmark of San Francisco and a bustling neighborhood for the local Italian community, North Beach is struggling to hang onto its legacy. The last decades haven't been kind to this quarter as rising rents have forced most of its family-run Italian businesses to bail, leaving commercial real estate vacancies somewhere around 50 percent. Now thanks to the COVID-19 crisis, North Beach is in greater peril.

Independent businesses in the 'hood, whether time-honored or more modern, are feeling the weight of economic impact that threatens to further diminish North Beach's cultural heritage. Here three of the neighborhood's Italian business owners share their love of Italy's vibrant artisanal food culture; you can support them during the pandemic by ordering takeout and delivery.