Big Rick Stuart
Jul 15, 20211 min
Restaurants and bars will be able to keeping building and serving in parklets, long after the pandemic is over
the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to pass an ordinance that would make the Shared Spaces program permanent. This legislation is a relief for restaurants and bars that have poured money into building these outdoor spaces in order to continue serving diners and drinkers during the pandemic and are now struggling to recover from debt. Parklets were originally a temporary emergency measure, but now they stand to change the landscape of SF forever.
“We are thrilled that the Shared Spaces legislation ... has passed at the Board of Supervisors today ... ” said Laurie Thomas, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA), in a statement. “Shared Spaces has been a lifeline this past year for restaurants, bars, cafes and retail businesses in San Francisco. Making this program permanent brings a continued bright light to all our neighborhoods, including downtown, Union Square and SOMA, and is a huge draw for visitors and residents alike.”