Entertainment Commission approves limited live performance permit for Mars Bar with police conditions

The San Francisco Entertainment Commission voted unanimously to approve a limited live performance (LLP) permit for Mars Bar, a longtime neighborhood bar at 798 Brannon, with two police-recommended conditions requiring event security and ongoing monitoring of sound.

David Keeley, who identified himself as the applicant doing business as Mars Bar, told commissioners the bar has operated in the neighborhood for roughly two decades and plans to provide ambient music for dinner and happy hour rather than full nightclub entertainment. "We try very hard to be good neighbors and be supportive of the community," Keeley said, noting letters of support from nonprofits and the Southland Market Business Association.

Commission staff read the two conditions into the record: staff-approved security sufficient to facilitate daily/nightly events, and permit-holder monitoring to ensure control of venue sound during hours of operation. There was no public comment on the application. A commissioner moved to approve the permit with the police conditions; the motion, seconded and put to roll call, passed with all members present voting yes.

The approval comes as citywide rules for limited live performance are under active review; commissioners and staff said they expect more venues to seek LLPs as the rules evolve. The commission did not specify an effective date in the hearing; next procedural steps are to finalize permit paperwork with staff and ensure the applicant meets the police conditions before operations under the LLP begin.