"Right now, thanks to a quirk in state law, movie theaters that want to admit kids, serve alcohol, and serve somewhat substantial food - think slices of pizza - have to register as a restaurant. That wouldn't matter except that a city law requires that eateries classified as "restaurants" bring in more than half of their revenue from food."
""I don't know how we'd ever get there unless we served $300 truffle popcorn," said Cody Allen, the executive director of the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project, which owns the shuttered Clay Theater in Pacific Heights and is backing Sherrill's legislation, in advance of the Clay reopening this year."
"The more-than-100-year-old, single-screen Clay theater closed its doors in January 2020, months before the pandemic would do a number on many of San Francisco's already-struggling cinemas. ( At least 10 theaters have closed in the city since the pandemic.) Last fall, Neil Mehta, the tech investor behind the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project, announced plans to renovate and reopen the Clay in 2026. Part of the plan to get the cinema profitable, Allen said, is to make the theater do more than just show movies."
San Francisco supervisors voted unanimously to pass an ordinance from District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill that waives city rules that could put many movie theaters out of compliance if they serve alcohol. State law currently requires theaters that admit children, serve alcohol, and offer substantial food to register as restaurants, and a city law then requires restaurants to derive more than half of revenue from food. The rule makes it difficult for theaters to meet the food-revenue threshold. The ordinance follows a 2000 precedent for nonprofit theaters. The Clay Theater closed in January 2020; investors plan a 2026 reopening with talks, wine and beer to boost revenue.
Read at Mission Local
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