The relief money would be managed by the city’s Office of Workforce and Economic Development, which will determine how to distribute the funds. The bill is subject to approval by the full board and Mayor London Breed.
Several bars and restaurants close to the Moscone Center geared up to serve APEC attendees but ended up experiencing a wave of cancellations and a major decline in business during the event. Fencing, checkpoints and parking restrictions put in place to protect world leaders and conferencegoers limited mobility and access in the security zone for customers.
Dozens of small business owners, residents and community organizers spoke out about APEC’s negative financial impact during a Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee in December.
Manuel Ramirez, owner of the Metreon location of the Korean fried chicken chain Bonchon, said many restaurants were swayed by officials to stay open that week with the promise of an increase in business to help make San Francisco “look like a vibrant city.”
“They saw us as acceptable collateral damage, the sacrificial lambs for putting San Francisco on the world stage,” he said during the meeting.
Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who is also co-sponsoring the bill, said some of the businesses stayed open through the conference in an effort to make it a success, but “for various unforeseen circumstances, paid a heavy price for doing so.
“APEC was a financially successful endeavor for the city, but a number of small businesses suffered undue hardships that I think we have a moral obligation to mitigate,” Dorsey said in a statement to The Standard about the bill.
Nate Haas, who owns Barbary Coast, a cannabis dispensary and smoke lounge in SoMa, said the relief fund proposal is perhaps a bit late for those who suffered the negative business impacts from APEC but welcome news nonetheless.
“The fact that the city is willing to do anything really; I’ll take it,” Haas said. “Of course, knowing how to navigate the city agencies and figure out how to get that money is somewhat of a different story.”
