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Planning commission legalizes Fiddle Fig Cafe, acknowledges prior staff error in legacy-business case
Summary
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to grant a conditional use authorization for Fiddle Fig Cafe at 790 Lombard after staff acknowledged earlier advice that the cafe did not need a CUA was incorrect. The hearing featured divided public testimony: dozens of neighbors and community groups supported the cafe while the displaced prior operator and supporters said the city failed to protect a legacy business.
The San Francisco Planning Commission on Feb. 22 unanimously approved a conditional use authorization for Fiddle Fig Cafe at 790 Lombard Street, resolving a dispute rooted in the 2019 eviction of the previous operator and subsequent legacy-business recognition.
The decision followed a staff presentation from Dakota Speecher, who said the prior tenant had legacy-business status and that the planning code requires a new conditional use authorization when a successor opens in that space. Project sponsor Jay Ng told commissioners his family had deep local roots and asked the commission to approve the cafe "with no additional conditions," saying the tenant had created seven local jobs and…
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