SAN FRANCISCO—On Wednesday, July 15, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department announced via Twitter that Japantown Peace Plaza will be set as an outdoor seating venue for people to consume their take-out food from Japantown’s restaurants. It will open to the public on Saturday, July 18 and run through Sunday, September 27.
According to an event poster, operating hours of the outdoor seating venue will be Saturdays and Sundays, from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. People can enter the venue at the east end of the Plaza, near Daiso. People need to follow the markers to maintain social distance while waiting in line. The picnic event is organized and supported by the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, Japantown Merchants Association, The Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation, and SF Recreation and Parks Department.
People can bring beer, sakes, and other drinks to have with their to-go food at the venue. The purpose of having the picnic event is to support the businesses in San Francisco Japantown.
“Our restaurants and markets have been gravely impacted by the shelter-in-place mandate that forced the closure of the City. Even as the dine-in restaurants prepare to open, many restrictions will be placed on them, making it very difficult to accommodate the necessary number of patrons for their business to survive,” reads a description of the event by the organizer via Facebook.
The organizer reminds customers that, at the entry, they will need to present their receipts for purchasing food from Japantown area restaurants and markets.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, guests are required to wear face coverings for entry. Meanwhile, the organizers decided that there should be less than six people per table. The event will be also follow the city’s health and safety guidelines.
