Downtown Liquor License Plan Advances Under Protest at Rules Committee

San Francisco's Rules Committee forwarded a mayor-backed ordinance creating up to 15 new below-market restaurant liquor licenses downtown to the full Board of Supervisors — but without a recommendation, a rare rebuke reflecting all three supervisors' frustration at being rushed. The committee also unanimously advanced a new hate crime reward fund and confirmed a Treasure Island board reappointment.

• 15 new low-cost liquor licenses for downtown restaurants sent to full board without recommendation after supervisors slam rushed process

• Hate Crime Reward Fund modeled after existing homicide reward program advances unanimously

• Existing bar and restaurant operators warn of oversupply as 40 unused liquor licenses already sit idle at the state

The basics: State Senator Scott Wiener's SB395 authorizes San Francisco to create a Downtown Hospitality Zone where the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control could issue new, non-transferable restaurant liquor licenses at roughly $20,000 — a fraction of the $100,000–$150,000 price on the secondary market. California caps liquor licenses by county population, and San Francisco has exceeded its cap for 80 years, creating a costly barrier for new restaurant operators.