Downtown San Mateo Association welcomes new president

“Most of what got me interested again in the downtown association is the pedestrian mall,” Haddad said. “We wanted a central place for the downtown where people can call it a civic center in a way, but we never had that until COVID happened … we have a lot of events happening there now, and the businesses are feeling the effects of it.”

The then-council approved the B Street closure between First and Third avenues in October of 2021 after it helped struggling restaurants adhere to outdoor dining regulations during the pandemic. The closures were made permanent and turned into a pedestrian mall after widespread public support for its ability to improve the area’s walkability and long-term future of the downtown.

As of mid-2025, foot traffic within parts of downtown San Mateo increased nearly 20% between 2024 and 2025 and a whopping 120% since 2023, according to previous city staff reports. In addition to the pedestrian mall, the area has also seen an increase in pop-up events almost every month. 

Haddad said the pedestrian mall has been a boon for the area, despite pushback from some businesses about how the lack of parking has had a negative impact on them. 

“We can't disregard how others feel about it, but I always look at the bigger picture,” Haddad said. “In the 23 years of being downtown, the pedestrian mall was the best thing to come out of COVID. I think it’s helped more than it’s hurt the downtown.”

Haddad said he hopes that small businesses like his can get back to pre-COVID activity during weekdays, especially in the mornings and afternoons.  

“After COVID, we had a tough time attracting startups because the downtown used to be a big draw where people came for breakfast and lunch and coffee in the morning,” he said. “We were busy Monday to Friday. After COVID, things changed a little.”

DSMA also voted in Lorry Morales of La Piñata as vice president and Cathy Levitt from Tri Counties Bank as treasurer.