Land Use committee backs allowing wine and beer sales at neighborhood movie theaters
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Summary
The committee voted 3‑0 to forward an ordinance amending the Planning Code so certain movie theaters that operate as bona fide eating places in the Upper Fillmore may offer entertainment and sell wine and beer; supporters said the change will help the Clay Theatre’s economic viability.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Feb. 9 voted unanimously to forward to the full San Francisco Board of Supervisors an ordinance that would amend the Planning Code to allow certain neighborhood movie theaters in the Upper Fillmore to offer entertainment and sell wine and beer on site.
Supporters said the change is aimed at preserving historic neighborhood cinemas by allowing them to operate more flexibly. "This ordinance will drastically enhance the viability of not only the Clay Theatre but also neighborhood theaters across the city," said Cody Allen, executive director of the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project. Ted Gericke, director and future operator of the Clay Theatre, said independent cinemas must adapt and become community hubs: "The Clay will present 500 screenings a year… it has to be more than just a theater."
Clerk John Carroll summarized the ordinance as amending definitions for bars and bona fide eating places, permitting certain theaters in the Upper Fillmore neighborhood commercial district to sell wine and/or beer without being subject to nonresidential use size limits. The ordinance includes a Planning Department determination under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and finds consistency with Planning Code sections 101 and 302.
Supervisor Bilal Mahmood moved that the committee recommend the ordinance as a committee report to the Board. Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen and Chair Mirna Melgar joined Mahmood in voting aye; the committee recorded three ayes and forwarded the item to the Board for consideration. The committee clerk said items acted upon at this meeting are expected to appear on the Board agenda Feb. 24, 2026, and the ordinance may be considered by the full Board on Feb. 10, 2026.
The ordinance would apply in the Upper Fillmore neighborhood commercial district and only to theaters that qualify as bona fide eating places under the revised definitions. The committee did not adopt additional conditions or amendments during the hearing. The full Board will take up the item next.
