The to-go cocktails will be flowing on a few Cole Valley sidewalks during street-closure events, as the SF Board of Supervisors just made that neighborhood SF’s newest “entertainment zone” where establishments can sell to-go drinks during fairs and night markets.
Fans of San Francisco’s outdoor parties that allow open containers of alcohol know that the city has started up these “entertainment zone” events where bars and restaurants are allowed to sell to-go alcohol to the partiers during outdoor events where street closures are in effect. The first of these was on the Financial District’s Front Street, and gave those to-go cocktail sales privileges to Schroeder’s, Harrington’s Bar & Grill, and the Royal Exchange. That was followed by adding Chase Center and a few other downtown alleys to the entertainment zone mix.
In December, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman proposed making Cole Valley the next entertainment zone, for events like the Cole Valley Street Fair and Cole Valley Night Market. And on Tuesday, the SF Board of Supervisors unanimously approved giving the to-go cocktail sales designations to stretches of two streets in Cole Valley, so bars on those streets can sell to-go booze during designated night markets and fairs.
“The businesses are struggling,” Cole Valley Tavern and Bacon Bacon owner Jim Angelus said at a Monday committee meeting before the board’s vote. “We still have spaces for rent that are still sitting there. But giving the neighborhood and these blocks an extra boost would really have a significant impact.”
These to-go alcohol sales can only happen during events when street closures are in effect.
The map above shows which parts of Cole Valley have received this entertainment zone designation. It’s a Google map, and you can see that Zazie, Ino Vino, and Beit Rima fall in the zone. But the map doesn't display some other businesses that will also have this option, like Finnegan’s Wake, Bambino’s, and Cole Valley Tavern.
In a new twist that just took effect on January 1, these events no longer need approval from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). State Senator Scott Wiener’s SB 969 just took effect on the first of the year, and gave local government full control of the entertainment zone events. That change will also apply to the Front Street and Chase Center entertainment zones.
But remember, folks, your open container cannot be taken outside of the entertainment zone boundaries, and cannot be brought inside of a business on these streets. So definitely nobody ever do that!
Related: SF’s Next Boozy ‘Entertainment Zone’ Could Be Coming to Cole Valley [SFist]
Image: Downtown SF Partnership
