Golden Gate Restaurant Association, Author at GGRA

Restaurant Relief

Governor Newsom Announces CA Tax Relief for RRF Recipients

Governor Newsom Announces California Tax Relief for Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) Recipients

The GGRA has been working hard to get this state relief. We had discussions with Assemblyman Ting’s office, Senator Wiener’s office, and coordinated with colleagues at SF Travel, CAL Travel, representatives from Southern California restaurant groups, the SF Bar Owner’s Association and the CRA.

We could not be more thrilled to have California move so quickly to conform to Federal tax treatment (not taxing these relief grants).

Golden Gate Restaurant Association January 11, 2022 0

COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 Boosters + Testing Resources in San Francisco

With COVID-19 cases surging in the City due to the spread of the highly-contagious Omicron variant, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is making access to vaccine boosters and testing easily available at drop-in clinics and is urging extra caution during holiday gatherings.

As people travel and gather for the holidays, SFDPH advises layering their defense against the Omicron variant through vaccines, boosters, testing, and wearing an N95 or well fitted “double” mask (cloth on top of surgical/disposable mask) to improve the seal of the mask to the face. A well-fitted mask that can be comfortably worn is most important. Limiting the size and number of indoor gatherings also reduces risk.

You can find SFDPH’s official press release issued on Thursday, December 23rd here.

WHERE TO GET YOUR BOOSTER

Here are the following locations in San Francisco where people can drop-in to receive a booster, Monday to Friday while supplies last each day. Please check sf.gov/getvaccinated or call 628-652-2700 for the latest changes in holiday hours.

ZSFG (1001 Potrero Ave, Bldg 30)
Southeast Health Center (2401 Keith Street)
Chinese Hospital (845 Jackson Street) (closed Dec. 24)
Kaiser Tent (2350 Geary Blvd) (closed Dec. 24)

Vaccines are free. You do not need insurance to get the vaccine.

You can also find more information about boosters and vaccination sites in San Francisco here: https://sf.gov/information/get-your-booster

TRANSPORTATION TO VACCINATION SITES/APPOINTMENTS

Ride Muni or Paratransit for free, to and from your appointment
- On Muni, show your vaccine card or proof of your appointment. You can also show an email confirmation or a photo of your card. See SF guidance on traveling on public transit.
For Paratransit information, see the SFMTA website.
Take Lyft or Uber for free, to and from getting your vaccine
- Use the app to find a ride. See details from Lyft or Uber.

COVID TESTING RESOURCES

People should go to their health care provider first, if they have one. If you are in need, SFDPH has over 20 sites that offer a drop-in option to receive a test. The full list of testing sites in SF can be found at: sf.gov/gettested.
You can also find a map of San Francisco’s testing locations here: https://datasf.org/covid19-testing-locations/

Rokketmed is also offering On-Site Rapid COVID Testing. This is a great resource (but not free) that you can use if you need your staff tested onsite. Email info@rokketmed.com to learn more or schedule now.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID

 Individuals who test positive, including if they are asymptomatic, should assume they are infected with COVID-19 and take measures to get care and isolate away from others. They should additionally notify their healthcare provider about their positive test result and stay in contact with them during their illness. Individuals who do not have a provider or need assistance with isolation, can connect with our COVID Resource Center at (628) 217-6101. 

More information about what to do if you test positive can be found here.

Golden Gate Restaurant Association December 23, 2021 0

Copy of 20202021 EDSF & SFRW Graphics (1)

Dining Events

Register for SF Restaurant Week!

SF Restaurant Week is back Friday, October 15th – Sunday, October 24th and we invite you to register as a participating restaurant!

What is SF Restaurant Week?

SF Restaurant Week is a promotional campaign designed to drive traffic directly to participating restaurants.

Participating restaurants will offer special prix-fixe menus throughout the 10 days at one (or more) of the following price points:

Lunch (2+ Items or Courses): $10, $15, $25
Dinner (3+ Items or Courses): $25, $40, $65

Tip: Not sure how to make these price points work for your restaurant? Though you must choose from the above price points, you can get creative with your offerings (lunch or dinner for two, drink pairings, meal kits, etc.)

Menus can be offered for indoor dining, outdoor dining, takeout, and/or delivery.

For more information, check out our Guide for Participating Restaurants, including detailed event information, FAQs, and tips for what to consider when creating your menus!

How Can I Register as a Participating Restaurant?

Participation is free for GGRA Members!

Please note, you must have an active GGRA membership to participate.

If you are not a current GGRA member, you can join or renew your membership here, and then register for SF Restaurant Week at no additional cost.

You can learn more about GGRA Member Benefits and pricing here.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at ggra@ggra.org.

Golden Gate Restaurant Association August 25, 2021 0

AdvocacyPublic Policy

GGRA Requests BART to Immediately Return to Midnight Service

UPDATE: July 1, 2021

Today, BART announced that late-night limited trains will be added from downtown San Francisco July 15-31st and Midnight service will return Monday-Saturday beginning August 2nd.

From July 15 – July 31 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, BART will run four trains leaving Embarcadero or Civic Center Stations at 11:30 p.m. These trains will serve limited stops after regular BART service ends and are in addition to the special service for A’s night games and the limited service provided for Giants’ night games.

July 15 – July 31 Service Plan:

Train 1 – Embarcadero, Civic Center, 16th Street, Daly City
Train 2 – Civic Center, Embarcadero, West Oakland, MacArthur, Pleasant Hill
Train 3 – Civic Center, Embarcadero, West Oakland, Bay Fair
Train 4 – Civic Center, Embarcadero, West Oakland, MacArthur, El Cerrito Del Norte

Starting on August 2, rather than August 30, service throughout the system will extend to midnight Monday – Saturday.

Find full details here.

The GGRA has been working to bring this urgent issue to the attention of BART, and we are grateful it resulted in an immediate solution. The conversations that happened and the real desire by the BART Board of Directors, BART staff and BART’s labor partners to quickly find a solution is a testament to how we can solve issues by all working together. This move will make it easier to bring back staff and allow us to reopen more of our restaurants to tourists and residents alike.

Thank you to our partners at the Bay Area Council, SF Travel, The Hotel Council of SF, SF Bar Owners Alliance, California Music and Culture Association, and the American Car Rental Association for your support!

June 29, 2021:

The Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA) has requested BART to immediately return to midnight service. Currently, BART’s last trains depart the end of line at 9pm while midnight service is slated to return August 30.

Ending service early prevents hospitality staff from working evening shifts and returning home via a reliable, affordable transportation option, as well as an operator’s ability to hire those who do not have another way to return home after their shift.

Returning to normal service hours would also allow tourists and Bay Area locals who cannot afford the rideshare prices to return home from evening activities.

BART is an essential public service, and extending its hours to midnight is a crucial step in supporting San Francisco employees, residents, and visitors.

You can read GGRA’s letter of support here. This letter was sent to the BART Board of Directors and was co-signed by:

Joe D’Alessandro, President & CEO, San Francisco Travel Association
Kevin Carroll, President & CEO, Hotel Council of San Francisco
Ben Bleiman, Founder, San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance and Chairman, California Music and Culture Association
Sharky Laguana, President, American Car Rental Association

You can also find the Bay Area Council’s letter of support here.

Golden Gate Restaurant Association June 29, 2021 0

AdvocacyEconomic SustainabilityPublic Policy

GGRA Advocates for Permanent Commission Cap on Third-Party Food Delivery Services

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday, June 22nd to make the temporary 15% commission cap on third-party food delivery services permanent.

In order to avoid a gap between the expiration of the current fee cap and the effective date of this legislation, the Board passed the legislation in its current form. There continues to be work to finalize amendments that will allow operators additional flexibility with third-party delivery companies.

We anticipate these amendments to be formalized July 8th in the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. The final legislation is expected to include:

A permanent 15% commission cap on delivery
Allowance for up to a 3% credit card pass through
Allowance for separate contracts for services outside of delivery such as marketing, consumer discounts, etc.

You can find GGRA’s Support Letter here. We will continue to provide updates as we learn more.

Golden Gate Restaurant Association June 27, 2021 0

AdvocacyPublic Policy

San Francisco Makes Shared Spaces Permanent!

UPDATE: We are thrilled to share that the Permanent Shared Spaces Legislation passed at the Board of Supervisors on July 20th after being supported on the first read July 13th. We would like to thank Mayor Breed for her unwavering leadership on this groundbreaking policy, the members of the Board of Supervisors who supported this, the city departments and their staff for all the hard work to make this come together, and the residents and advocates who worked to share their perspectives.

We’d also like to thank everyone who called in to provide public comment in support of this legislation. This was truly a team effort.

You can find more details in our newsletter here.

Existing permit holders do not need to take action now. The City is assessing new legislation program parameters.

Stay tuned for details on next steps, updated design guidelines, and for when applications open for the permanent program. Keep an eye on the City’s Shared Spaces website for more information in the coming days.

Thank you to our Community Partners for supporting a permanent Shared Spaces program!

Want to learn more about how you can get involved in GGRA’s advocacy efforts to support our local restaurant community? Please reach out to Chhavi Sahni at chhavi@ggra.org.

Golden Gate Restaurant Association April 30, 2021 0

Dining EventsRestaurants Rising

The Heartbeat of the City: San Francisco Restaurants Rise Again

During the pandemic, the GGRA has been 100% focused on advocating for our restaurant community. From communicating detailed health directives and closure requirements as clearly as possible to helping restaurants navigate the financial aid options, we’ve been focused on the many details and data.

With this video, we shift our focus to share the San Francisco restaurant industry operators’ and chefs’ stories to give them an opportunity to speak directly to what the pandemic has been like for them and to voice where they see things going now. The San Francisco restaurant community is resilient, smart, hopeful, and incredibly inspiring. Enjoy this brief look into their world and please continue to support our restaurants!

Golden Gate Restaurant Association April 13, 2021 0

Dining Events

How to Make SF Restaurant Week Work for Your Restaurant

To promote the San Francisco dining scene, we will be bringing back a Fall edition of SF Restaurant Week Friday, October 21-Sunday October 30, 2022!

Throughout the city, participating restaurants will offer prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus, which can include options for :

Takeout
Delivery
Meal Kits
Outdoor Dining
Indoor dining (as long as San Francisco allows for indoor dining at the time of the event)

SF Restaurant Week will feature two menu types at six price points:

Lunch: $10, $15, $25, $30
Dinner: $30, $45, $65, $75

Not sure if the pricing will work for your restaurant or how to get the most out of participating?

Check out these tips on how to make SF Restaurant Week work for you:

The deadline to register as a participating restaurant is Friday, October 5th. Don’t miss your opportunity to participate!

Registration is free for GGRA Members!

Golden Gate Restaurant Association March 8, 2021 0

Restaurant Relief

California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program

If your business had a yearly gross revenue of $2.5 million or less in 2019, you may be eligible to apply for The State of California’s Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.

If you want to apply, you must pick a partner organization to apply through. You can find the list of partners serving San Francisco county applicants here.

If you have any questions, please refer to this FAQ page. You can also register for webinars through Small Business Development Center to learn more about the application process.

The amount of grant funding ranges from $5,000 to $25,000, depending on what your revenue was in 2019. Businesses are eligible based on their annual revenue as documented in their most recent tax return:

Summary of Eligibility Requirements:

A small business or small nonprofit must satisfy the following criteria to be eligible to receive a grant award:

Must meet the definition of an “eligible small business” that has yearly gross revenue of $2.5 million or less (but at least $1,000 in yearly gross revenue) based on most recently filed tax return) or (ii) a “small nonprofit” (registered 501(c)(3), 501(c)(19), or 501(c)(6) nonprofit entity having yearly gross revenue of $2.5 million or less (but at least $1,000 in yearly gross revenue) based on most recently filed Form 990)
Active businesses or nonprofits operating since at least June 1, 2019
Businesses must currently be operating or have a clear plan to re-open once the State of California permits re-opening of the business
Business must be impacted by COVID-19 and the health and safety restrictions such as business interruptions or business closures incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
Business must be able to provide organizing documents including 2018 or 2019 tax returns or Form 990s, copy of official filing with the California Secretary of State, if applicable, or local municipality for the business such as one of the following: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization, Fictitious Name of Registration or Government-Issued Business License
Business must be able to provide acceptable form of government-issued photo ID
Applicants with multiple business entities, franchises, locations, etc. are not eligible for multiple grants and are only allowed to apply once using their eligible small business with the highest revenue

Golden Gate Restaurant Association January 5, 2021 0

GGRA Update Graphic – 2020-12-14T132420.839

Restaurant Relief

Holiday Support for SF Restaurant Families: Christmas Giving Tree

If you are a San Francisco restaurant or hospitality worker that has been impacted by the effects of COVID-19, you can request to be matched with a San Francisco Secret Santa to provide gifts for your child/children before Christmas.

If you are interested in supporting SF Restaurant Families Christmas Giving Tree, you can learn more about donating here.

Golden Gate Restaurant Association December 14, 2020 0