While San Francisco’s Zoning Administrator has given AMC a thumbs up with respect to plans for adding a bar within the AMC Metreon 16 at Mission and Fourth (from which beer, wine and spirits would be sold and allowed to be taken into the theaters), as the chain’s “MacGuffins” bar qualifies as a standardized, “formula retail” use, the Administrator has also just determined that a formal Conditional Use application, hearing and authorization will be required in order for AMC to add a MacGuffins to their offerings at the AMC Van Ness 14 at O’Farrell and Van Ness (which they would like to do as well).
Good god. So stupid
Seriously? I didn’t think downtown had to go through chain retail ordinance? I thought it was just out in the neighborhoods.
I hope no one tells them that AMC is a national chain. They’ll probably demand replacement of the formula popcorn with locally grown thistle from Bernal Heights.
And AMC will be replaced by an indie movie house playing only old german expressionism or French Nouvelle Vague (pre-1967 since Truffaut simply recycled his characters after that). Some Bertolucci maybe though he was a bit formulaic at some point.
Were it not the city of SF I’d think this was a joke.
This determination refers to the AMC on *Van Ness* – not the one in the Metreon.
[Editor’s Note: Since updated above.]
The update missed one spot (“adding a bar within the AMC Metreon 16 at Mission and Fourth”)
Our tax dollars at work!
Am I to understand that Planning is requiring a separate CU for formula retail for the (proposed) bar inside the AMC theater, when this is not a new business or a new location (more like adding another refreshment counter, except this one sells alcohol and they slap a name on it) and the theaters themselves are already formula retail. That seems enormously silly and a waste of the theater’s money and the Planning Commission’s time.
The bar is not a “formula retail” business, it’s a feature of a formula retail business (AMC) which is already existing. If McDonalds wants to install a McCafe counter (they have these, kind of an express counter for coffee beverages, etc.) in an existing McDonalds, would Planning call that a second restaurant requiring separate planning approvals? I’m truly appalled, unless I’m missing something here.
That’s correct, at least with respect to the AMC Van Ness location which is within an area for which formula retail controls are in place.
funny the theater in the westfield mall on market has beer wine and margaritas and no one seems to mind…did THEY have to go through all this permit bs or is this just more of the same conditional nonsense under Ed Lee’s administration. If the Metreon had a Chinese partner you can bet they’d not have to deal with this.