Proposed San Francisco

Officials in San Francisco on Friday provided details on a proposed “entertainment zone” in the city’s downtown Financial District that would allow alcoholic beverages on the street during outdoor events and activations.  

San Francisco Mayor London Breed was joined by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and other officials to talk about the new legislation that would create the first designated public outdoor area with legal open container alcohol sales and consumption in California. 

Officials said the proposed legislation would also establish a framework for the designation of future entertainment zones and revise local open container laws to permit the operation of these zones. San Francisco’s first entertainment zone would be established on Front Street between California Street and Sacramento Street. 

The city was authorized to create entertainment zones under SB 76, legislation authored by Wiener. If approved, the designated area will allow local bars and restaurants to operate and sell alcoholic beverages as part of organized outdoor events that take place on that block. 

The legislation would enable three bars along Front Street — Schroeder’s, Harrington’s, and Royal Exchange — to sell open beverages for consumption during special events in the zone. These bars, along with the Downtown SF Partnership and BOMA, are working to launch a new recurring street closure on this block that could involve live entertainment and other activities during the zone’s operation.  

There will also be funding made available to support events activations in entertainment zones and throughout downtown. 

“San Francisco’s downtown is seeing a new surge of excitement, and we are thrilled to be the first city in California to take advantage of this new law to bring opportunities that foster joy for our residents, workers and visitors,” Breed said in a release. 

The announcement came a day after San Francisco held the initial First Thursday block party, another effort to draw more people downtown that brought thousands to a stretch of Second Street in SoMa.

Last month, Breed provided details on the new SF Live series of concerts in San Francisco that will feature free entertainment across the city this summer.

The legislation will be introduced at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, May 7th.