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Board of Appeals upholds Entertainment Commission limits on Habibi Lounge’s late‑night entertainment
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Appeals denied an appeal by Habibi Lounge seeking later indoor entertainment hours, upholding the Entertainment Commission’s conditional permit that sets a 2 a.m. end time after a record of repeated permit violations.
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Board of Appeals on Feb. 26, 2025 denied an appeal from Habibi Lounge of the Entertainment Commission’s conditional approval of a place-of-entertainment (POE) and extended-hours premises (EHP) permit, leaving in place a 2 a.m. end time for indoor entertainment.
The decision preserves permit conditions the Entertainment Commission imposed after inspectors recorded multiple instances of unpermitted entertainment and outdoor amplified sound at Habibi Lounge, a restaurant at 26 Sixth Street. The Entertainment Commission cited repeated violations, multiple notices of violation and escalating fines as the justification for limiting late‑night entertainment, and the Board of Appeals concluded the commission’s determination stands as a matter of law.
Appellant Joe Benveniste, a California-licensed architect representing Habibi Lounge and owner Ali, said the business has sought later hours to serve late‑night customers and that neighborhood stakeholders, including the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and managers of the Seneca and Windsor hotels, had…
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