Bar and restaurant owners in neighborhoods with active entertainment zones — where alcohol can be sold and consumed in public during street festivals or other designated events — say the zones have contributed to a significant boost in sales.
As the Chronicle reports, San Francisco now has more than 30 entertainment zones, up from fewer than 10 at the beginning of 2025, with new applications arriving nearly every week, according to the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development. Other California cities have also reportedly begun looking to replicate San Francisco’s model.
As SFist reported previously, in 2024 then-Mayor London Breed passed “entertainment zone” legislation after a new state bill by state Senator Scott Wiener relaxed alcohol restrictions for the zones. Breed’s legislation allows bars to sell to-go cocktails and open container drinks during events when the streets are shut down to cars.
Since then, every neighborhood in SF was clamoring to get their own entertainment zones with Cole Valley, the Castro, the Fillmore, and a slew of others receiving entertainment zone privileges last year. Additionally, all of Valencia Street was granted a zone five days a week, which was later upgraded to seven days a week, even when there are no street festivals happening.
According to the Chronicle, entertainment zones host everything from neighborhood night markets and Pride block parties to World Cup watch parties and cultural festivals, often with live music, DJs, drag shows, local vendors, food trucks, and outdoor seating. The events are typically organized by merchant associations and neighborhood groups in partnership with local businesses, and while they can cost tens of thousands of dollars to produce, business owners say the added foot traffic more than makes up for it.
Valencia Corridor Merchants Association co-vice president and Blondie’s Bar owner Nikki DeWald told the outlet that sales at her bar have increased about 20% since the Valencia Street entertainment zone launched. Castro Merchants Association president Nate Bourg said bars in the neighborhood saw sales double during Pride week compared to the year before the zone was established.
“The entertainment zones, when done properly in terms of safety and security and planning, are an extremely positive thing for the future prosperity of San Francisco neighborhood corridors,” Bourg said, speaking to the Chronicle. “This isn’t a situation of chaotic partying on the streets. It’s a celebration.”
Some residents, however, have raised concerns over noise, street closures, and public drinking, while advocacy group Alcohol Justice has called for stronger oversight to reduce potential harms surrounding the entertainment zones — rather than eliminate the zones altogether.
Previously: Mayor Breed Proposes ‘Entertainment Zone’ Where Bars Can Sell Open Containers for Outdoor Events
Image: The Fillmore Jazz Festival is this weekend, July 4–5/Facebook
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sfist.com ’
