We reported earlier this week that a new gelato shop, Haight Street Gelato, has opened at 1782 Haight (near Shrader). The shop offers 24 gelato flavors and five sorbets, and soon plans to expand into sandwiches, breakfast, and coffee.
But as commenter Haightmamma pointed out, the new ice-creamery may be violating zoning restrictions: its space appears to be zoned only for specialty retail, not food service.
It turns out that another Haight Street business owner, who's been operational on the street for 20+ years and who wishes not to be named in this story, filed two complaints with 311 late last month to determine whether the shop is zoned correctly. (We reached out to Haight Street Gelato owner Bruno Martin to learn more, but have not received a reply at the time of this writing.)
The case is still open, and SF Zoning and Compliance is working with the Department of Health to investigate. Together, they are in the process of scheduling a site visit to inspect the shop, according to Samantha Roxas, aide to District 5 Supervisor London Breed.
If they determine that Haight Street Gelato is operating without proper zoning and permits, the shop will likely be shut down until it complies, similar to what happened with Quickly Cafe in the Inner Sunset last year.
We'll keep an eye on Gelatogate, and let you know.
