Friday Food Politics: San Francisco vs. Restaurants Edition
Is San Francisco killing restaurants? That's what Michael Bauer (SF Chronicle food critic) asks over at his blog, Between Meals. His evidence:
- "Candle" tax: $200 a year
- Propane tax: $146
- Tent tax: $146
- Restaurant license, S.F.: $951
- Valet license: $244
- Place of Entertainment tax: $352
- San Francisco license renewal: $758 (an ongoing charge after a restaurant purchases the permit, which can range from $28,000 to $60,000 or more)
- SF Minimum Wage Ordinance
- In the latest election, a measure passed that requires restaurants and other small business to provide 8 to 9 days of sick leave a year
- The Board of Supervisors is about to implement universal health care, which will cost around $120,000 to to cover 80 employees
On a positive note, excessive regulation in SF likely means better food in the rest of the Bay Area. Although I would expect this effect to be most predominant in inexpensive restaurants, the most recent Michelin guide may hold some evidence.
Three Stars: French Laundry (Napa)
Two Stars: Aqua (SF), Cyrus (Russian River Valley), Manresa (South Bay), Michael Mina (SF)
So only two of the top five Michelin-rated restaurants are in San Francisco. Not definitive, but certainly interesting.
UPDATE: San Fran chef's are already raising their prices. More commentary at Chow.
1 comment:
Thanks for the behind-the-scenes on the SF restaurant scene. I often wondered why certain areas serve at one price while others serve at others. In Las Vegas, I live near an Italian Restaurant in Henderson, but the deal is in Las Vegas at Maggiano's. Why? I think I now know.
Post a Comment