Name: SF bar says city wants it to remove a third of its parklet after complaint
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SF bar says city wants it to remove a third of its parklet after complaint

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This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateIn 2020, Harry’s Bar spent thousands of dollars on a parklet to help remain financially afloat amid the pandemic, but the restaurant is at risk of losing a third of its space this month after a disagreement with the property owner next door, as first reported by .Charles Johnson, manager at Harry’s Bar, told SFGATE that the city of San Francisco wants a third of the parklet removed by March 15. Johnson hopes that the bar can get an extension until San Francisco restaurants are able to open for indoor dining at 50% capacity. San Francisco County is expected to begin .“We spent $30,000 on that parklet and we did it in good faith,” Johnson said. “I know we have to take that part out, but we’re just asking the city to give us time.”Harry’s Bar was temporarily closed for months during 2020, until last summer, when it completed building its parklet and welcomed guests back for outdoor service. At the time, Johnson said that Harry’s Bar had received permission to build a parklet as part of the city’s Shared Spaces Program. He said that Harry’s Bar had likewise received permission from James Perse, the former retailer next door at 2028 Fillmore St.But after the James Perse closed, Johnson said that the property owner of 2028 Fillmore St. implied that she couldn’t lease the vacant space because the parklet covers its storefront.“We absolutely try to be a good neighbor and are supportive of other businesses,” Johnson said. “I understand what the neighbor’s concern is, but I don’t think our parklet helps prevent them from leasing the storefront. We have no problem getting rid of that section [of the parklet] but we want the city to give us more time.”SFGATE reached out to the San Francisco Planning Department who shared a statement via email regarding the parklet at Harry's Bar."In situations where one merchant wishes to occupy a neighbor’s frontage with a Shared Space, the City requires written consent from that neighbor; either the groundfloor tenant or in the absence of a groundfloor tenant, the property manager or owner," the Planning Department said via email. "This requirement still applies if your neighbor changes their mind, or a new tenant is established in the neighboring groundfloor space."Harry’s Bar has set up a petition on where it hopes to get 1,500 signatures that it can present to the city of San Francisco. As of Monday afternoon, the petition has received 531 signatures and counting.Johnson said Harry’s Bar has taken a huge financial hit amid the pandemic and he worries that if the bar loses a third of its parklet space — about 21 feet according to an — the business will be financially impacted once more. According to the Change.org petition, adding a parklet has allowed the bar to hire a staff of 16 cooks, servers, bussers&nbsp;and bartenders.“The amount of seats we have at the parklet allows us to continue with our business,” Johnson said. “This whole pandemic has made it very difficult. It’s been a struggle but we’re trying to claw our way back.”Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from &nbsp;San Francisco Planning Department.&nbsp;More Food + Drink------&nbsp;&nbsp;

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateIn 2020, Harry’s Bar spent thousands of dollars on a parklet to help remain financially afloat amid the pandemic, but the restaurant is at risk of losing a third of its space this month after a disagreement with the property owner next door, as first reported by .Charles Johnson, manager at Harry’s Bar, told SFGATE that the city of San Francisco wants a third of the parklet removed by March 15. Johnson hopes that the bar can get an extension until San Francisco restaurants are able to open for indoor dining at 50% capacity. San...

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SF bar says city wants it to remove a third of its parklet after complaint

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