— By Jack Morse (@jmorse_) |
In a rare bit of good news for the Mission bar scene, the Planning Commission has granted the new owners of Pop’s a full entertainment license. For those of you not hip to the minutiae of San Francisco’s weird permitting rules, this means that when Pop’s reopens, it will legally be allowed to rock both DJ’s and live bands.
Mission Local reports:
The historic bar’s new owner, Michael Krouse, who also owns Madrone on Divisadero, applied for a permit to have a full entertainment license, meaning the bar could legally offer its patrons live bands and DJs. With some conditions, the commission unanimously approved the change of use. […]
The bar’s live music program will operate until 10 p.m. and DJs until 2 a.m., its existing operating hours. [Erick Arguello of Calle 24] said that Calle 24 is mostly supportive of granting the bar its full entertainment license, but hopes that they can find some sort of compromise about hours. The group of merchants hopes the bar will cease operations at midnight, to which Krouse noted that the bar can already operate until 2 a.m. with its existing liquor license.
This welcome development allows for the outside possibility that the new Pop’s may retain some of its pre-renovation, shit-hole charm. Before the city cracked down, neighborhood kids spinning sets was always one of the bar’s highlights (that and the cheap beers/bacon bloody marys/analog photo booth whose constantly wafting photo processing chemicals were a big contributor to the bar’s nickname of “Poop’s”).
Of course, there’s no word yet on what sort of music Krouse will book. But at this point, simply being able to legally have live music at all seems like a small win.
[Photo: Jeremy Brooks]
Comments (7)
Had a gander inside there this weekend. I imagine I’ll be there plenty, but from the visual look of the place I imgine I’ll be paying more for the luxury. I figure they’re trying to attract people from a bit farther north, around the 20th street area, and not say, the Phone Booth crowd. Funny how much Phone Booth now means to this area
“Calle 24 is mostly supportive of granting the bar its full entertainment license, but hopes that they can find some sort of compromise about hours.”
Thinly veiled threat.
The hours thing is such bullshit. Pop’s was always open until 2am, and the crowds were certainly on the noisy side. Now this is suddenly a problem?
Eh, I’m sure people always hated it but back when Pops opened in (from what I remember, maybe 2003?) this particular area was still somewhat wild. City didn’t care, if neighbors complaiend about noise Im sure it went completely unnoticed by the cops. Now with money coming in, people can complain and stuff gets done. It isn’t just limited to lame white peopel that move in, the locals will complain now that they have the power to
Agreed. Krouse better play ball though or else ACCE are going to “Yaron Milgrom” him and his businesses.
Arguello also wants them to have Latin music nights due to the fact that they’re on”Calle 24.” So, will all new places need to have some sort of Latino theme in their business plan? Disneyland, here we come!
Maybe he’ll book bands that cover Hootie and the Blowfish like he does up at Madrone. The new Missionites would just adore that type of golden audio nostalgia. If all else fails we can all pray he hires an ultra-progressive, dreadlcoked Burner to spin some Santana in order to repsect the neighborhood and keep shit “muy autentico.” Stay punk, Pop’s.