Meet Tom Sweeney: Union Square’s Living Landmark
Recently I had the pleasure of city down with Tom Sweeney, to chat about his career. If I were to sum up Tom’s life into a sentence, it would be-life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.Tom, a native of San Francisco, had a fairly typical childhood. He lived in the Sunset District, attended a Catholic High School, earned a little spending money with a summer job. His grandfather was the local fire chief at the San Francisco Fire Department. His father worked for Chevron. For a number of years his family once owned a toy shop and ice cream parlor on Haight Street that went by the name, “Sweeney’s Ice Cream Land”.
As a teen he dreamed of one day becoming a police officer or a fire fighter. There was a test to qualify to work for the SFPD or SFFD. At 19 he was told it would be a four year wait. He would need some way to earn income while he was waiting. As a teenager he had earned spending money working as a vendor at Candlestick Park and the Oakland Coliseum. Another teen named Tom worked with Sweeney slinging sodas and snacks at the stadiums. Sweeney’s partner in crime was none other than Tom Hanks. You never know who the kid selling you a hot dog at the next Giants game will grow up to be.
Tom wanted a summer job with a little more stability than picking up gigs for home games. Luckily his mother had friends in high places. Among her cronies was the GM of San Francisco’s Sir Francis Drake Hotel in Union Square. This hotel was no ordinary place. The doorman there wore red Beefeater Uniforms, making them stand out from all the other hotels and lending a great deal of charm to the place. The doorman position was not typically an entry level job. An exception was made for Tom. This favor by the GM, hooking a friend’s kid up with a summer job, would change the course of Tom’s life. at When Tom was 19 years old, he took a temporary job, while he was preparing for a career with either the San Francisco Fire Department or the San Francisco Police Department. The job was arranged by his mother, who was friends with the GM of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. He had no idea how much his “summer job” as a hotel doorman would impact his life.
Tom Sweeney wore the Beefeater Uniform with pride. He loved the job. It suited him well. I was blown away by how approachable and friendly he is. I had known of Tom for years but never officially met the guy until we were putting together our Union Square Neighborhood Guide for CrawlSF. He responded to my message quickly and agreed to meet up. I was thinking maybe a public space like a coffee shop. He invited me into his home and could not have been nicer. He just has that hospitality gene. Tom Sweeney loved being a doorman and people loved Tom Sweeney. Soon his summer job would become a 40 plus year career and youthful visions of a position at the San Francisco Fire Department or Police Department would fade into mere memories.
Tom has no regrets about his career. He told me the job is like being a ringmaster, a greeter, a constable, a guide, a porter and a valet. It comes with great responsibility and great reward. In 1981, a courageous act, in his role as “constable”, made Tome Sweeney a Household name. He chased and tackled two suit case thieves fleeing from the Sir Francis Drake, while on duty. This landed him in Herb Caen’s column. It also got the attention of Diane Feinstein, who was then Mayor of San Francisco. She awarded him the “Nick of Time Award”. Tom spoke fondly of the award ceremony, not only because he was honored by the mayor. There were two other recipients of the award that day. They were none other than San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana and receiver Dwight Clark for their role in “The Catch,” which led to the team’s first Super Bowl win. It was a thrill for Tom to meet these great sportsmen and to have his picture taken with them. They would not be the only celebrities and notable public figures he would meet over the years. Presidents, sports teams and celebrities would stay at the Sir Francis drake and Tom Sweeney met them all over the years. He had the chance to meet Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford and many other A-list celebrities over the years. When he first started working at the hotel, the crew from Pan Am Airlines was staying there regularly.
Tackling the suitcase thieves would not be Tom Sweeney’s only heroic act. Even while on vacation he selflessly looked out for others. On a trip to Acapulco, Mexico he saved a girl from drowning, which landed him on World News with Dan Rather. This took his celebrity status from local to international. It would not be his first Television appearance. He once played the role of a doorman on the popular soap opera, “The Young and the Restless”.
Being a doorman is not all meet and greets with the society set. The work is demanding. Carrying heavy luggage, dealing with difficult people and, for those clad in the Beefeater Uniform, dealing with hat thieves is all part of the job. Tom took it all in stride. I learned from him that many doorman were the victims of hat theft over the years. I had no idea that the flower adorned red hat was such a popular item for petty theft. The doorman paid for their own Uniforms and they were not cheap. So they had to stay on their toes while on the job. Tom had his hat stolen 3 times. Two times the hat was recovered and the third it was not.
He is an avid runner. He has run many marathons over his lifetime. He just considered all the heavy lifting a great work out. He is definitely “one of the glass is half full” types of guys. If somebody failed to tip or tip properly, he did not let it drag him down. At least he was getting some good exercise. Tom got to know everyone who lived or worked in the neighborhood and had smiles for everyone, even a bum in the street. Among his cronies, were the Cable Car operators on Powell Street. He told me that when the Cable Cars stopped in front of the Sir Francis Drake they would tell the passengers that it was Tom Sweeney’s birthday and people would sing. This would happen every day.
From time to time Tom would return to the ball park and earn some extra cash as a vendor. He was among the people at Candlestick Park, when the 1989 Loma Prieta Quake hit. It was game 3 of the World Series between the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants. Another beloved San Franciscan was at the ball park that day, Pauly McManus. Today you can catch him at Cow Hollows Bus Stop saloon on a day shift, serving beers and telling stories. Back in 1989 he was a bartender at Perry’s on Union, just across the street. He was off that day, so he made his way to Perry’s Box at the stadium to enjoy game 3. Sadly, Pauly’s apartment building was destroyed that day in the earthquake. One afternoon he told me tales of all the destruction, especially in the Marina District. Luckily for Tom, he made it out of the ball park safely and his house was still in tact when he arrived home. He did mention that a few things were disheveled. Ironically a bottle of Beefeater Gin had fallen out of his kitchen cabinet. Thankfully Tom and Pauly were among those who made it through this travesty alive and well.
Eventually Tom Sweeney became known to the world as, “the most photographed man in San Francisco”. Tourists would flock to Union Square to see the Cable Cars, to go shopping and to have a photo taken with Tom Sweeney. He is a San Francisco legend, a living landmark. After 20 years of bringing smiles to all who passed by the Sir Francis Drake, Tom Sweeney was honored with a soiree on the hotel’s 21st Floor, then occupied by the late great Harry Denton and his Starlight Room.Friends, neighbors, bartenders, restaurateurs and others all attended the event. Among the noteworthy guests were Ed Moose, beloved owner of Moose’s and the Washington Square Bar and Grill, aka “The Washbag”, Bill Kimpton, owner of the hotel and even actor Cuba Gooding Jr. Tom graciously posed for countless pictures with all of the people that came out to celebrate this mile stone. A young Tony-Abu Gamin, inventor of the Cable Car and, now, world renown bartender and consultant, prepared a special cocktail named after him. That was the night a riff on the French 75, called the “Sweeney-tini” was born.
The most photographed man in San Francisco stuck around for more than 20 addition years, at his “summer job”. In his role as a guide, he gave many visitors to this amazing city directions and advice on things to do in Union Square. One of the top questions he was asked by those seeking his advice, was “where are the Cable Cars”. When I asked him about restaurants, he named all the old classics, Sam’s Grill, John’s Grill, Taddich Grill. We reminisced about the days of Scala’s, which we both agreed was a sure bet in Union Square. Sadly, the beloved Italian eatery, once housed inside the Sir Francis Drake is no more. I found out some terrific news from Tom. Scala’s may no longer be in Union Square but they did open a spot. If you plan on heading out for a day in Napa, ask your concierge to book you a reservation.
The Sir Francis Drake is now the Beacon Grande and the uniforms are not quite as snazzy as they were in the old days. The hotel is still a beautiful landmark to visit. Harry Denton’s is long gone, but the Starlite lives on and is worth a visit for the views alone. Tom Sweeney finally retired but there is a plaque in his honor that adorns the walls there. The doormen are still dressed in distinct red uniforms and offer a friendly greeting and a smile. They were amenable to posing for a picture when I stopped by. Nobody will ever replace Tom Sweeney. He is a one of a kind. Tom is now happily enjoying his retirement, spending time with his wife and grandchildren and is still a runner. HIs extraordinary life cannot be captured in just one article. Someday he needs to write an autobiography entitled, “The Best Summer Job Ever”.
