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SF Plans 4 New “To Go Booze” Zones in Downtown & Thrive City

To-Go drinks likely coming to Mid-Market, Maiden Lane, Mark Lane and Harlan Place, and Thrive City
By - posted 9/6/2024 No Comment

Mayor London N. Breed and Supervisor Matt Dorsey with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) introduced legislation on Tuesday, September 3 to create four new Entertainment Zones in Downtown, which could launch as early as December of this year. The new locations include Mid-Market, Maiden Lane, Mark Lane and Harlan Place, and Thrive City. If approved, the legislation will enable restaurants and bars in the zones to sell alcoholic beverages to-go for outdoor consumption during events and activations.

The proposed legislation would bring San Francisco’s total number Entertainment Zones to five. In May 2024, Mayor Breed announced Front Street, between California and Sacramento streets, as the first entertainment zone in San Francisco and the state. Sanctioned under Senate Bill 76, authored by State Senator Scott Wiener, the ordinance permits bars and restaurants to sell alcohol to-go within the zones during special events to boost economic activity and animate public spaces through fun community events that extend after work hours.

“The momentum we’re seeing Downtown is exciting, and we are only just getting started,” said Mayor London Breed. “The addition of four new Entertainment Zones and the investments we have made to support block parties, free concerts, nightlife events, and small businesses moving into vacant storefronts are making our vision for transforming Downtown into a culturally vibrant, 24/7 neighborhood a reality. The number of events happening this month alone is unprecedented. San Francisco is booming with events and activity, and everyone is invited to join in on the fun.”

The creation of Entertainment Zones is a component of the Mayor’s Roadmap to San Francisco’s Future and builds on a series of entertainment initiatives designed to support Downtown’s recovery.  The four new Entertainment Zones will advance the financial sustainability of the bar and restaurant sector, animate and engage additional Downtown neighborhoods, create more opportunities for community gatherings, and support broader economic recovery.

The Maiden Lane Entertainment Zone, which is being organized by the Union Square Alliance, aims to create a welcoming space for diverse interests that enhances Maiden Lane’s upscale appeal. Iron Horse Cocktails and Hawthorne plan to serve wine, champagne, and craft cocktails for patrons to sip while unwinding and connecting during curated events.

For owner Blake McCall, owner of Blake Charles Salon, Entertainment Zones are a catalyst for uniting diverse businesses around a common cause. “Our vision for the Entertainment Zone on Maiden Lane is to create a fun, family-friendly destination that blends leisure and luxury, bringing much-needed foot traffic back to the area,” stated McCall. “We aim to offer a sophisticated yet relaxed environment where visitors can enjoy background music, fine beverages, and a welcoming space that fosters community, supports local culture, and enhances the unique charm of Maiden Lane.”

Arts and cultural programming will be central to the proposed Mid-Market Entertainment Zone, located between 5th and 6th streets. Initially, the zone would be active during the Mid-Market Foundation’s UNSTAGED: Live on Mid-Market, a First Thursday event that programs storefronts and sidewalks with art installations, interactive experiences, live performances, and “Instagrammable” moments. As they stroll the block, attendees can enjoy open-container drinks from participating establishments, including Red Tail, the Warfield, the Line Hotel, and Saluhall.

According to Fernando Pujals, Deputy Director of Mid-Market Foundation, the primary organizer of the Zone, “The Entertainment Zone is a crucial step in our Market Street Arts initiative, a public-private partnership aimed at establishing Mid-Market as a world-class arts and entertainment district. This effort complements our ongoing programming, including a new monthly interactive arts event, daily sidewalk performances, and the activation of vacant spaces. By collaborating with stakeholders across the spectrum—from large cultural venues to small businesses and arts organizations—we’re creating a vibrant ecosystem that will benefit our entire community, starting with a focused footprint and expanding in the years to come.”

An Arena Entertainment Zone would be located in Thrive City, the 11-acre community gathering space surrounding Chase Center. It could be activated during a wide variety of events such as Warriors and Valkyries watch parties, family-friendly concerts, health and wellness community engagement events and holiday celebrations. The brick-and-mortar breweries, restaurants, and bars located within Thrive City will serve drinks to-go for patrons to enjoy in the outdoor common area.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to bring an Entertainment Zone to Thrive City, enriching the culture and experience of the Mission Bay neighborhood,” said Brandon Schneider, President and COO, Golden State Warriors. “This zone will create unique opportunities for our retail and small businesses, drive economic development, attract more people to our community, and create more vibrancy in our neighborhood.”

The Mark Alley and Harlan Place Entertainment Zone will feature craft drinks from Harlan Records and Irish Bank. Programming might include record swaps, vintage clothing swap meets, music lessons, instrument building and other how-to workshops from industry professionals and live music and rotating DJs.

“The Entertainment Zone would be huge for the neighborhood. Anything that can bring in more business is always going to be seen as a positive,” said Ronan O’Neill, owner of The Irish Bank. “We need to make this area a destination again. Being on the edge of the Financial District, Chinatown, and Union Square, we feel we have a unique location that can offer local residents, financial district workers, and tourists a great venue to be able to mix and interact at our events. I can’t wait for more people to experience Harlan Records, The Irish Bank, and all of the other bars and restaurants in the area, as well as traditional Irish music!”

The City aims to ensure successful, safe, and efficient management of Entrainment Zones through collaborative process led by the OEWD with input from community stakeholder and other City agencies. More information about the Entertainment Zone ordinance and implementation visit: San Francisco Entertainment Zones.

To fund successful activations in Entertainment Zones and throughout Downtown, Mayor Breed also directed OEWD to partner with San Francisco New Deal to launch the Downtown Entertainment & Nightlife Revitalization Grant (ENRG) Program. In August, 14 Downtown organizations were awarded up to $50,000 to create new events on weekends and evenings. Funding from this grant is currently supporting 28 of creative activations in the Downtown, some of which are already taking place within the proposed Maiden Lane, Mid-Market, and Mark Alley and Harlan Place Entertainment Zones.

“Entertainment Zones and ENRG Grants empower our local businesses to both help generate, and benefit from, our economic recovery,” said Sarah Dennis Phillips, Executive Director of the Office of the Economic and Workforce Development. “They give people even more reasons to come Downtown by leveraging San Francisco’s exceptional arts, culture, and nightlife. These local business initiatives are inspiring people to come together and reclaim Downtown as great place to shop, eat, drink, and experience San Francisco.”

San Francisco’s Downtown will see a historic number of City-sponsored events in September, including:

  • UNSTAGED: First Thursday Live on Mid-Market block party on September, 5, 4-7 p.m.
  • The popular Bhangra & Beats will host a special Latinx heritage block party on September 13.
  • Civic Center Plaza hosts the annual El Grito de Dolores celebration on Sunday, September 15 starting at 4 p.m. to feature live music, dance performances, a Mexican Food Night Market and a Lucha Libre match.
  • Nine ENRG-sponsored events will take place in September, including a recurring monthly “happy hour” concert kicking off on September 19 presented by NoisePop and Skylight outside The Cube, the future home of the Institute of Contemporary Art located at the corner of California and Montgomery streets.
  • Another Planet announced its second free public concert in Civic Center Plaza on September 20 at 7 p.m. featuring Portugal and the Man. The first concert featuring Dirtybird: Back to Baysics on July 21, drew approximately 5,000 people to Embarcadero Plaza. A third free concert in Union Square will be announced soon.
  • Oktoberfest on Front, the state’s first-ever Entertainment Zone event organized by Downtown SF Partnership takes place on Friday, September 20, from 2 – 10 p.m. During the free event, three Front Street businesses—Schroeder’s, Harrington’s Bar & Grill, and Royal Exchange—will sell alcoholic beverages to-go to attendees as they enjoy live music, themed beer games, costume contests, and more.
  • SF Live free concert series in iconic open spaces such as Union Square Plaza and Civic Center Plaza presented in partnership with San Francisco’s leading entertainment and live music venues has six concerts lined up in September.
  • Bricks at Embarcadero Plaza, a 12-week pilot launched on August 7, presents over 30 events through the end of October, including weekly trivia nights, dance lessons, Friday happy hours with music and other arts activities, lunch-time professional networking and panel discussions, and family days every Saturday with the Children’s Creativity Museum.

Read more at SF.gov