The neighborhood debate over whether the Jack in the Box on Geary is an appropriate after-hours environment rages on.

On January 24th, the Entertainment Commission approved the restaurant’s request to stay open after hours, with some conditions. Rather than stay open 24 hours, the Commission ruled that Jack in the Box must close between the hours of 4am and 6am.

The Entertainment Commission’s ruling confused many residents, especially those who had rallied via a petition to ask that the Jack in the Box be forced to close from 2am until 4am, not 4am until 6am. It’s during the 2am to 4am hours when nearby residents claim there is the most noise and disruption at the restaurant due to patrons leaving nearby bars when they close.

Unhappy with the decision of the Commission, a resident group has filed an appeal that states, “We do not believe Jack in the Box can operate safely and within rules required by the permit between the hours of 2am and 4am. The restaurant’s small size makes it impossible to prevent excessive noise, traffic and loitering, and statistics unambiguously demonstrate that after hours patronage has caused an increase in violent crime and created impermissible noise and litter in a residential area.”

The appeal was filed on behalf of the Richmond Residents Association and The Chinese American Voters Education Committee (CAVEC). Both are headed up by David Lee, a neighborhood resident and owner of a State Farm Insurance branch located near the Jack in the Box. He also sits on the city’s Recreation & Parks Commission.

Lee was also behind the petition that gathered over 1,500 signatures from residents prior to the January 24 hearing, asking the Entertainment Commission require that Jack in the Box remain closed from 2am until 4am.

So why did the Entertainment Commission ignore the requests of petitioners and even nearby bar owners who want the Jack in the Box closed from 2am until 4am? In a neighborhood meeting just days before the hearing, the SFPD indicated they were in favor of Jack in the Box staying open 24 hours, despite police calls from the business being down since they reduced their hours in early December.

Even more surprising was Commissioner Audrey Joseph’s rationale for approving the permit. “It’s very important that we have food [available late at night]; it helps people not be as drunk,” she said at the January 24 hearing.

One RichmondSFBlog reader called Joseph’s argument “ignorant and reckless”. “You don’t sober up in 30 minutes and you don’t sober up from eating. It might make you FEEL better, but it does nothing to change blood alcohol level,” commenter kayvaan wrote.

Jack in the Box’s status in the neighborhood initially came into question after a tragic incident. In the early hours of Thanksgiving morning, a fight inside the Jack in the Box later led to a brutal hit and run accident on the corner of 9th and Geary.

The victim, 29 year old Albert Bartal, remains hospitalized with serious brain trauma. Bartal’s family started a Facebook page and a website to raise funds for his recovery. According to a post from his mother earlier this week, Albert remains in serious condition. “Albert was re-admitted to Kaiser Sacramento. No fever but he has ‘brain storms’ that cause his heart rate to soar, his body to contract, and he perspires A LOT!!” she wrote.

Police eventually arrested Eduardo Shaparo Esquivel, a 22-year old South San Francisco man who was identified from security footage from inside the Jack in the Box during the initial fight.

Since the incident, it was revealed that the Jack in the Box was staying open 24 hours a day, despite not having the required city permits to do so. As a result, they were forced to cut their hours and close at 2am every night. Then on January 24, the Entertainment Commission approved their permit, but with the condition that they close between the hours of 2am and 4am.

The appeal from Richmond Residents Association and The Chinese American Voters Education Committee will be heard by the Board of Appeals on February 29 at 5pm in City Hall, Room 416. The public is invited to attend the meeting and speak on the issue to the Board.

In the meantime, the permit that was issued on January 24 to Jack in the Box has been suspended. The restaurant will once again be forced to close between 2am and 6am until the matter is settled.

Sarah B.

Jason Annecone has been providing guided bike tours of San Francisco for several years through his San Francyclo business. Recently, he opened his first retail store on the edge of the Richmond District at Arguello and Golden Gate Avenue.

I stopped by last Sunday to check out the new shop, which was a long time opening. Jason had intended to open last fall, but when he embarked on a remodel of the space, he found the building in need of extensive repairs.

“It needed a whole new foundation,” he said.

Undeterred, San Francyclo finally opened its doors just after the new year. Jason was at work adjusting someone’s road bike when I stopped by. His parents were also in the shop – Mom sitting at the counter chatting with customers and Dad downstairs in the back room, hand-painting signs and talking up the used bikes that are for sale.

The shop has a good selection of accessories including locks, racks, headwear and some higher priced items, along with a selection of new and used bikes for sale.

“On nice days, rentals have been pretty steady,” Jason said as he tinkered on a customer’s bike. The shop is located just three blocks from Golden Gate Park.

Despite the Richmond District’s proximity to the Presidio and Golden Gate Park, San Francyclo is one of only a few bike shops in the neighborhood, and and arguably the first to offer expert repairs to discerning cyclists. Riders will appreciate the handy air pump located on the outside of the shop.

In addition to the repairs and tuneups, San Francyclo also provides rebuild and custom design services.

Greeting you at the door is Mojo, Jason’s pussycat of a dog. I’m sure he’s been enjoying his new status as sidewalk dog, soaking up the winter rays and ample pets from customers.

For now, it’s just Jason (and his parents!) manning the shop, but that may need to change. San Francyclo will be featured as an Editor’s Pick in the April issue of Sunset Magazine, after Jason took one of their riders on a bike tour of the city.

“I think I’ll have to hire someone after that story comes out,” Jason said.

San Francyclo is located at 746 Arguello, at the corner of Golden Gate. The shop is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 1pm – 6pm, Wed – Fri from 10am – 6pm, Saturdays from 9am – 6pm, and Sundays from 9am – 5pm. You can also follow San Francyclo on Facebook or Twitter.

Sarah B.

Last night, the Entertainment Commission met to review the request for an after-hours permit for the Jack in the Box restaurant on Geary at 11th Avenue. The restaurant had been forced to close from 2am until 6am after it was discovered last December that they did not have the proper permit.

At the meeting, the Entertainment Commission voted to grant the after-hours permit to Jack in the Box, but with conditions. The restaurant must close between the hours of 4am until 6am. However they can stay open from 2am until 4am – key hours for the restaurant as patrons empty out of nearby bars and head to Jack in the Box for late night dining.

Leading up to the decision, residents were circulating a petition urging the city to not allow Jack in the Box to stay open from 2am until 4am. At last night’s meeting, Supervisor Eric Mar supported this same strategy. Two nearby bar owners also supported the restaurant being closed after-hours.

But despite the petition’s 1,500 signatures, and recommendations from Supervisor Mar and business owners, it was not enough to sway the Entertainment Commission. They voted to allow the restaurant to stay open exactly during the hours that the opposition pushed for it to be closed.

At a community meeting last Friday, SFPD also expressed support for the restaurant to remain open 24 hours, despite police calls from the business being down since they reduced their hours in early December.

At last night’s meeting, one Commissioner cited the need for drunk people to have a place to sober up as a good reason to allow the restaurant to operate after-hours.

“It’s very important that we have food [available late at night]; it helps people not be as drunk,” said Commissioner Audrey Joseph. [SF Examiner]

It may also be a little cleaner around Jack in the Box too. The Entertainment Commission said that staff are required to clean up any litter within 50 feet of the restaurant.

It looks like Jack’s neon “OPEN 24 HOURS” sign in the window will have to stay dark. But after hours diners will have a place to get burgers, fries and real ice cream shakes between 2am and 4am in the Richmond District.

Sarah B.

Residents met with police and city officials on January 20th about the Jack in the Box
after hours permit request. Photo by David H.

Last Friday afternoon, the Richmond District police station hosted a community meeting about the Jack in the Box restaurant on Geary at 11th Avenue. At tomorrow’s Entertainment Commission meeting, the restaurant will be asking for their after-hours permit to be renewed, allowing them to remain open between the hours of 2am and 6am.

About ten neighbors attended the meeting, along with owners of two local bars – The Hearth and Would You Believe? – that are located just across the street from the restaurant. Others in attendance included new Richmond District station Captain Eric Vintero, two members of the Entertainment Commission, a representative from Jack in the Box, and Supervisor Eric Mar, who led the meeting.

Up for discussion was whether or not Jack in the Box should be permitted to stay open 24 hours. A fight began early on Thanksgiving morning in the restaurant, which then led to a brutal hit-n-run crime a couple of blocks away. After the incident, the city took a closer look at the restaurant and realized it no longer had the proper permits to operate after hours. So since early December, the Jack in the Box has been closed between 2am and 6am.

Neighbors who live nearby say it’s been a great improvement since the restaurant reduced its hours. There’s been less noise and a general sense of feeling safer.

“People have said for years it’s been like an alarm clock at 2 a.m.,” Lee said. “Now we can sleep through the night, and we feel safer to be shopping and walking around. It has transformed our neighborhood immediately around Jack in the Box, and we are here to fight to keep it this way,” resident David Lee told The Examiner.

The Examiner reports that police calls are down. The SFPD has received only 3 calls in the 7 weeks since Jack in the Box reduced their hours. In the months prior, when the restaurant was open 24/7, they were averaging 7 calls a month; a total of 270 calls in 2010. The majority of those occurred between 9pm and 4am.

While many residents are opposed to Jack in the Box being granted an after-hours permit, the SFPD are not. At the meeting, the police said they supported Jack in the Box being open 24 hours a day, with the stipulation that they increase their security.

Last year, the manager at the Jack in the Box worked with the Richmond Police Advisory Board and SAFE to make security improvements to the property, including improved lighting, adding security guards on Thursday through Saturday nights, and trimming overgrown landscaping.

Things seemed to be improving after the security changes, but the Thanksgiving day incident brought a high-powered microscope over the restaurant, one of only two businesses in the Richmond District that is open 24 hours a day.

The other is the Subway sandwich shop (5650 Geary at 21st Avenue) which, as it turns out, also does not have the proper permits to stay open after hours. The city is working to get them in to compliance. At last Friday’s meeting, Clement Street’s Rockit Room was mentioned several times as another source of neighborhood problems, resulting in police calls. Residents claim that so far, the club’s owners have not responded to the offer of a free security survey offer from SAFE, like the one that was provided for Jack in the Box last year.

The real fireworks will come at tomorrow’s meeting of the Entertainment Commission (6:30pm at City Hall, Room 400), when arguments will be heard from both sides about whether or not Jack in the Box should be allowed to operate after hours.

David Lee, a Richmond District resident and business owner, will no doubt present his petition for which he has gathered nearly 1,500 signatures from neighbors, all opposing Jack in the Box extending its hours.

But with the SFPD supporting a 24 hour operation and there being so few in the neighborhood, it’s possible that Jack in the Box could get its permit back.

Which way would you vote? To let Jack in the Box stay open 24 hours, or stay with their reduced hours?

Special thanks to cub reporter David H. for the details and photo from last Friday’s meeting.

Sarah B.

Some residents are opposed to Jack in the Box remaining open 24 hours after a tragic hit-n-run accident occurred nearby on Thanksgiving morning. The fight leading up to the incident initially started in the Jack in the Box. Residents that live nearby complain the restaurant attracts the wrong crowd after the bars close at 2am, resulting in noise issues and a higher-than-normal volume of police calls.

One group has organized a petition and gathered over 1,000 signatures in opposition to Jack in the Box receiving their after-hours permit. After delaying the decision earlier this month, the Entertainment Commission is set to decide on the permit request at their January 24 meeting.

Still other residents want the Jack in the Box to get their permit back because it is one of the few 24 hour restaurants in the neighborhood.

Supervisor Eric Mar spoke at the January 10 Entertainment Commission meeting when the issue was first discussed. You can read his full statement here, which recommends “the increase of security guards to 7 days a week from 10pm-4am” and “adding a second guard for Friday and Saturdays to better patrol the parking lot and perimeter on evenings when more bar and late activity occurs”, along with other security improvements.

Jennifer Cunanan, a spokesperson for Jack in the Box, left a comment on one of our recent posts about the permit issue:

We recognize that late night nuisances are a problem in the neighborhood — largely due to drunk patrons from the nearby bars. It is a neighborhood problem, not just a Jack in the Box problem, and together with the nearby bars, restaurants, and businesses in the area we should cooperatively work together with Richmond District SFPD to improve safety and quietness in the late night/early morning hours. In general, San Francisco is a 24 hour city with not that many 24 hour eateries. As some customers came forward during the Hearing, they were happy to have a choice and an option of getting a fast hot meal during the odd hours of 2AM to 6AM, and never had a problem.

Friday’s public meeting will be held at the Richmond District Police Station in the Community Room beginning at 2pm. We have not received confirmation yet on whether representatives from Jack in the Box will be there, but we think it’s very likely.

Sarah B.

At this Wednesday’s general membership meeting of the Planning Association for the Richmond (PAR), Safeway will give an update on the plans for the remodel of their Ocean Beach / La Playa location (project website).

The video above is from February 2011, and gives a conceptual rendering of the remodeled store and underground parking deck. The square block on which the Safeway sits will also feature housing on the northeast portion.

No word yet on when the store remodel will take place. Once construction is started, the project is expected to take 10 months. The store will remain open during the project.

The PAR meeting this Wednesday begins at 7pm at the Richmond Recreation Center, 251 18th Avenue. PAR meetings are open to the public, even if you are not a member.

Sarah B.

Back in November 2011, Yet Wah (2140 Clement) ceased operations and only a small “Sorry, we are closed” sign appeared on their door. At the time, we tried the phone number on their awning and got a disconnected message.

But something is afoot. The “Sorry we are closed” sign was recently appended with a handwritten “REMODEL” underneath it.

From a quick glance through the doors, it appears that the carpet has been changed to tile in the main dining room. But aside from that, hard to tell what else is going on; the shades along Clement are still drawn. A search of the Dept. of Building Inspection database indicates that no permits have been filed against their address.

Their phone number is still disconnected and the former Yet Wah website is now an empty page.

No word yet on when they’ll re-open and if there has been any change in ownership.

UPDATE 1/17/2012: Cub reporter David H. says a For Sale sign has been posted in the window. Looks like they won’t be re-opening until they find a new owner.

Sarah B.

Photo by David H.

That seemed like a tall order given the state of our economy and it being the tail end of the holiday season. But not only did they receive what they needed, they exceeded their goal quite handily, raising nearly $20,000 from just 212 donors.

KGO 810AM recently stopped by the cafe to talk to some of the patrons, as well as owners Les and Makiko about their “It’s a Wonderful Life”-esque miracle. Listen below (2:17):

Thanks to RichmondSFBlog reader Robin – who is interviewed in the piece – for the tip.

Sarah B.

On Tuesday evening, the City’s Entertainment Commission met. On their agenda was to decide whether or not the Jack in the Box on Geary at 11th Avenue should get their after-hours permit approved, which would enable them to once again stay open from 2am until 6am every night.

During the meeting, the Commission voted instead to delay action on Jack In The Box’s application until their meeting on January 24 (6:30pm at City Hall). The reason given was to allow time for Supervisor Eric Mar to convene a neighborhood meeting that includes residents and the owners of the Jack in the Box restaurant.

Prior to the meeting, a petition was circulated that opposes Jack in the Box’s request to stay open after hours.

The petition has received 714 digital signatures so far. In the CBS news video above, organizer David Lee claims that he has gathered over 1,500 signatures from residents opposed to the Jack in the Box returning to 24 hour operations.

Jack in the Box’s status in the neighborhood came into question after a tragic incident. In the early hours of Thanksgiving morning, a fight inside the Jack in the Box later led to a brutal hit and run accident on the corner of 9th and Geary.

The victim, 29 year old Albert Bartal, remains hospitalized with serious brain trauma. Bartal’s family started a Facebook page and a website to raise funds for his recovery. According to a post from his mother, Albert remains in a coma.

Police eventually arrested Eduardo Shaparo Esquivel, a 22-year old South San Francisco man who was identified from security footage from inside the Jack in the Box during the initial fight.

Since the incident, it was revealed that the Jack in the Box was staying open 24 hours a day, despite not having the required city permits to do so. As a result, they were forced to cut their hours and close at 2am every night.

The Entertainment Commission will address the issue again on their January 24 agenda. In the meantime, expect a neighborhood meeting to be scheduled by Supervisor Mar.

On a humorous note, the Examiner pointed out today that while testifying at the Commission meeting, Supervisor Mar admitted a penchant for Jack in the Box’s tacos.

“I eat late night tacos at Jack in the Box,” he said. “I just admitted I eat fast food.” It’s a tad ironic given his McDonald’s Happy Meal legislation that went into effect last month (which even earned him an interview on the Daily Show).

Sarah B.

Just after Christmas, the Bazaar Cafe on California near 22nd Avenue sent an email to its patrons and supporters, letting them know they were in danger of closing due to tough financial conditions. They asked for help via donations to raise the needed $7,000.

That seemed like a tall order given the state of our economy and it being the tail end of the holiday season. But not only did they receive what they needed, they exceeded their goal quite handily, raising nearly $20,000 from just 212 donors.

“As I begin to write I find that I am struggling to find words to adequately express our appreciation to all of you. The words “thank you” seem small in measure for what you have done for us, but let’s start with that… THANK YOU,” the cafe wrote on their website.

When we published the story last weekend, many were skeptical, commenting that if the cafe couldn’t stay afloat on their own, shouldn’t they just go out of business? It’s a fair point, but clearly the Bazaar Cafe has enough fans and neighbors that want to see it succeed. Or perhaps those neighbors just don’t want to see another empty storefront in the neighborhood, and appreciate a small cafe that offers a cozy place for a cup of coffee and live music.

“It’s incredible that this little cafe has touched so many lives and got so much in return. As a longtime regular (first place I played music, and I met my husband/got married in their garden!) – I am in awe,” wrote RichmondSFBlog reader Robin when she sent us the news.

Owners Les and Makiko say they will use the extra money raised to make needed improvements to the cafe, including repaired and improved lighting for the garden and improved signage to start. They’ll also tuck some away in case there’s another rainy day.

The cafe also has plans to ensure a brighter financial future for the cafe, including holding several benefit concerts in the coming year. They’ve also established a tax-exempt nonprofit foundation – Bazaar Foundation for the Arts, Inc. – to help fund “concerts at schools, libraries and other nonprofit and for profit spaces by paying, thus supporting, local songwriters and other musicians.”

While there may not be a Santa Claus, it looks like our community was ready to fill his shoes for the cafe this season. Well done, Richmond District.

Sarah B.