SAN FRANCISCO—On Thursday, September 24, parts of the streets in the Tenderloin District were blocked after the Tenderloin Merchants Association released an announcement on their website that said outdoor dining is allowed there. The local government and community blocked Golden Gate Avenue between Larkin and Hyde Street and Larkin Street between O’Farrell and Eddy Street for people to dine.
According to a video from San Francisco’s Board of Supervisor Matt Haney’s Facebook, who represents District 6, Tenderloin Outdoor dining will continue every week from Thursday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. until December 20.
The event has volunteers from various communities to maintain a safe and healthy environment, including the Urban Alchemy and the Community Youth Center (CYC). In an interview with the San Francisco News, Emmitt, who’s a staff member from the Urban Alchemy non-profit organization said, “We try to clean up the street when it needs. People’s reaction has been positive so far, unlike before people had to stay inside the gate in a building. We ask homeless people, drug sellers and users respectfully to move to the next block, so we can keep the street clean and safe. Now some people see the environment has improved that they come up to us to thank us for doing it.”
Boo, who’s a worker from Lers Ros Thai restaurant, told the San Francisco News they reopened for outdoor dining since the first day of the event with only four tables. As the demand increased, they have put seven tables for people to dine. They have also extended business hours for outdoor dining. Furthermore, Boo said if the air quality or heat weaves don’t worsen, they will remain with outdoor dining based on the demand. Visit Tenderloin Outdoor Dining for more information.
