San Francisco Mayor London Breed announces plan for more

San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Tuesday announced legislation to create four new entertainment zones downtown and elsewhere which could launch as early as December of this year.

The new locations outlined in the legislation include Mid-Market, Maiden Lane, Mark Lane and Harlan Place, and Thrive City at the Chase Center. 

The plan is an expansion on the first entertainment zone in the city’s Financial District that was introduced last May. The legislation enabled three bars along Front Street — Schroeder’s, Harrington’s, and Royal Exchange — to sell open beverages for consumption during special events. The first special event at that entertainment zone was announced last week with an Oktoberfest celebration scheduled for Sept. 20.

If approved, the legislation will enable restaurants and bars in the new 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. The legislation is sanctioned under Senate Bill 76 which was authored by State Senator Scott Wiener and allows cities to enact ordinances so bars and restaurants can sell alcohol to-go within the zones during special events.

“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.”

“I authored California’s Entertainment Zone law—which we expanded last week—to give cities an additional tool to activate public spaces, to bring people together, and to support our local bars and restaurants,” said Senator Wiener. “We’ve always known San Francisco has the best entertainment offerings in California, and it’s great to see our City leading the state once again.”  

The creation of Entertainment Zones is the latest a series of initiatives designed to support downtown 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. 

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.

“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,” said Fernando Pujals, Deputy Director of the Mid-Market Foundation. 

Another Entertainment Zone would be located in Thrive City, the 11-acre 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 Golden State Warriors President and COO Brandon Schneider. “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 the Irish Bank. Possible programming includes record swaps, vintage clothing swap meets, music lessons, instrument building and other how-to workshops from industry professionals and live music and rotating DJs.

More information about the Entertainment Zone ordinance and implementation can be found here.