Entertainment Commission approves Bao Bao Cocktail Lounge permit with guard-card condition

The San Francisco Entertainment Commission voted to approve a place-of-entertainment permit for Bao Bao Cocktail Lounge (1155 Grant Avenue) with a condition requiring at least one on-duty staff member to hold a guard-card certification on Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Deputy Director Azevedo told the commission that the applicant had applied to come into compliance for ongoing karaoke and that Central Station recommended one security guard; staff cited Bao Bao's long tenure in Chinatown and a capacity of 49. Manager Ricky Ng said the owner, Candy, and her family have run the business for more than 30 years and that the venue has had "low trouble" historically. "Baobao has been serving and [is] a landmark in the city of San Francisco for over 30 years," Ng said.

Commissioners questioned whether a dedicated outside security guard was necessary for the primarily long-time clientele and whether the venue's on-site manager and staff check identification and manage closing procedures. Commissioners proposed an alternative to requiring an outside security guard: having at least one staff member complete the guard-card certification and be on duty during the busiest entertainment hours. One commissioner noted the guard-card training is available online and would certify that a staff member "has been trained." The motion to approve the permit with that condition passed unanimously among commissioners present.

The commission's motion instructed staff to keep the Central Station time frame (9 p.m. to 2 a.m.) for the required trained staff on Friday and Saturday nights but removed the requirement to hire an outside security officer. The motion was seconded and commissioners Perez, Thomas, Vice President Camino, President Blyman, and Commissioner Lee each voted "Aye."

The permit approval requires the applicant to follow any remaining standard permit conditions and to follow up with deputy director staff as directed at the meeting. The commission closed the item by wishing the business well and asking the applicant to coordinate with staff on compliance details.