SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – A San Francisco sandwich shop owner says he is fed up after a man punched him in the face outside of his business. The frustrated shop owner says he was trying to keep the man from urinating on the store’s trash cans when he was assaulted.

He’s now hoping city leaders see his pain and step up to help out other small businesses suffering from crime and grime. Shortly after last night’s attack, the owner of Sandy’s — located in the Haight — vented his frustrations on social media.

He has a black eye and a cut on his forehead after being punched, but the bigger hit might be to his hopes for the city and what it means to run a business there.

“I love the neighborhood that we’re in and I don’t stand for something like that,” Peterson Harter said. “I’m not gonna just let things go in this neighborhood. That’s not who I am. And so I called him out on it and I was walking back and he just like hit me in the face.”

Harter’s New Orleans-inspired shop just became a brick-and-mortar back in April. He’s been excited about having a place to call his own, but he says this assault shows the unfair risks of running a business in San Francisco.

“I hear from a lot of other small business owners, especially after this incident, of what they have to go through on a daily basis. Whether it’s to clean up human feces or cleaning up a window or a graffitied wall or their employees being harassed,” he said. 

Harter has called on the governor, the mayor, and District 5 supervisor Dean Preston for answers. Preston sent KRON4 a statement. 

“Sandy’s has been a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. It’s heartbreaking that this happened, and we will continue to make sure they get the support they need,” the statement read.

San Francisco police confirmed they are investigating the attack.

Harter says big businesses leaving the city should be enough of a signal that San Francisco is struggling, but small businesses are still trying to hold strong despite all of the challenges.

“I love this city,” he said. “I want to stay here. I really see the promise and the hope and I really think this can be one of the greatest cities in the world, but right now it’s not and there needs to be changes.”

When and if the suspect is caught, Harter says he does not want them to go to jail. He thinks they should do community service because that would make them give back to the community.