Bean Bag Cafe hasn't allowed beers on their outside tables since December. Luckily, that's all about to change.
You may or may not have noticed that you can’t bring beers outside at The Bean Bag right now. This has been going on, to the dismay of many die-hards, since early December. However, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel: Owner Mike Alzagha is doing everything he can to remedy the situation, and reports that patrons may once again be able to enjoy dirt-cheap beers under the dwindling sunlight as soon as early February. The reason for the temporary prohibition comes down to an issue with their liquor license. You see, when Mike first applied for their beer and wine license about 20 years ago, there was no distinction between “indoor” and “outdoor” drinking. He described it as a long running grey area that they essentially were not bothered about, even after the regulations changed. However, a few months back a neighbor’s party during the Divisadero Art Walk brought The Bag under investigation. A large sound system caused many people to be out drinking on the sidewalk, reaching all the way to the corner of Divisadero and Hayes (in front of the café). Johnny Law and Mike’s dated license was brought under scrutiny, and Mike was forced to reapply for the new provision that allows people to drink outside. He finished the paperwork in December and now he’s just playing a waiting game with a notoriously slow-moving agency. Again, the provision may be granted as early as next month, provided all goes as planned. We’ll keep you posted.
You may or may not have noticed that you can’t bring beers outside at The Bean Bag right now. This has been going on, to the dismay of many die-hards, since early December. However, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel: Owner Mike Alzagha is doing everything he can to remedy the situation, and reports that patrons may once again be able to enjoy dirt-cheap beers under the dwindling sunlight as soon as early February. The reason for the temporary prohibition comes down to an issue with their liquor license. You see, when Mike first applied for their beer and wine license about 20 years ago, there was no distinction between “indoor” and “outdoor” drinking. He described it as a long running grey area that they essentially were not bothered about, even after the regulations changed. However, a few months back a neighbor’s party during the Divisadero Art Walk brought The Bag under investigation. A large sound system caused many people to be out drinking on the sidewalk, reaching all the way to the corner of Divisadero and Hayes (in front of the café). Johnny Law and Mike’s dated license was brought under scrutiny, and Mike was forced to reapply for the new provision that allows people to drink outside. He finished the paperwork in December and now he’s just playing a waiting game with a notoriously slow-moving agency. Again, the provision may be granted as early as next month, provided all goes as planned. We’ll keep you posted.
