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Committee approves amendment to allow catering as accessory use for limited restaurants
Summary
Supervisors backed an amendment to the planning code to permit limited restaurants, cafes and bakeries to use kitchen space for catering as an accessory use subject to time and delivery limits; the planning commission recommended expanding the provision citywide and the committee agreed to continue one week to incorporate that amendment.
The Land Use Committee on July 16 approved an amendment to the planning code to allow catering as an accessory use to limited restaurants, neighborhood commercial districts and similar small businesses under specified conditions.
Sponsor Supervisor Asha Safai said the measure lets underused back‑of‑house kitchen capacity (for example, bakeries and small cafes) be used for catering so businesses can generate additional revenue and remain viable in San Francisco’s difficult retail environment. The draft ordinance allows accessory catering provided it does not operate more than 75 percent of the restaurant’s hours on any given day and does not distribute individual meals directly from the subject lot by delivery.
Gino Salcedo of the Planning Department said the Planning Commission heard and unanimously approved the ordinance with modifications, notably recommending the provision be applied citywide rather than only to neighborhood commercial districts. Committee members and public commenters — including a representative from the Office of Small Business — supported expanding eligibility and asked staff to return with technical language. The committee adopted the amendment to expand scope and continued the item one week to allow the amendment to be formally incorporated before sending the item to the full Board.
