Commission recommends El Rio and Hwa Rang Kwan for San Francisco Legacy Business Registry

The Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously Oct. 18 to recommend two long-running neighborhood businesses — El Rio (a Mission bar and event space) and Hwa Rang Kwan (a Korean martial arts center) — for inclusion on the San Francisco Legacy Business Registry.

Stephanie Cisneros of Planning Department staff presented both applications and told commissioners the applicants met the registry criteria. She described El Rio as a community-serving venue founded in 1978 that hosts benefits, fundraisers and events serving Mission/Bernal neighbors, communities of color and LGBTQ residents; she described Hwa Rang Kwan as a martial arts center founded in 1973 that serves adults and children and has been a community anchor despite rising rents.

Multiple public speakers described how El Rio functions as a community space and resource. Lynn Angel, general manager of El Rio, said the venue "serves as such a diverse cross cultural segment of the Bay Area" and emphasized the establishment's role hosting benefits and supporting neighborhood organizations. Other speakers, including Jerrin Brown and Annie Rivera, described El Rio's role as a cultural and community hub and urged the commission to recommend the business for the registry.

After public comment and commissioner discussion praising both applicants' community roles and letters of support for Hwa Rang Kwan, the commission moved to adopt staff's recommendations and voted 5 to 0 to forward both listings for consideration under the Legacy Business program.