Fro-Yo Wars: Honeydoo and Wine Bars Ruin Everything?
Tuesday, November 6, 2007

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The above sign currently graces the window of the Honeydoo storefront on the corner of Grant and Green. The arrow points to the official four-page letter written by the Telegraph Hill Dwellers to the Planning Commission. The lengthy letter basically lays out the THD's opposition to Honeydoo, and the main "point" they cite is that eating and drinking establishments are bad and there should be more retail spaces in North Beach, which frankly makes zero sense. This Thursday is the hearing before the Board of Supes, so hopefully we'll have some resolution to this drama. The highlights of the letter follow:

The thesis: "...this proposed change in use is a part of a continued onslaught of use changes that threatens the already precarious balance between neighborhood-serving retail stores on the one hand and eating and drinking establishments on the other."

On North Beach's changing facade: "An over-concentration of restaurants, and a never-ending conversion of historically retail spaces to eating and drinking establishments, is detrimental to the vitality of North Beach."

On frozen yogurt affecting top 10 lists (shed a single tear): "... the 'essential character' of our neighborhood's business district, recently voted one of the 10 greatest urban neighborhoods in America by the APA, is seriously threatened."

On the neighborhood's feelings toward Honeydoo (nevermind the hundreds of local signatures in favor of fro-yo): "[the conversion from retail to restaurant] is not necessary or desirable for the neighborhood due to an existing over concentration of eating and drinking establishment."

On wine bars also ruining North Beach (huh?): "Adding to the over concentration is the recent trend in the North Beach NCD ... [is cafes] changing, without additional neighborhood notification or Planning Commission review, into 'lounges' and 'wine bars.'"

There's more, but as you can already tell from the selected quotes, it starts to go in circles. The crux: there are a lot of restaurants in North Beach so there shouldn't be any further changes of use granted. The entire letter, in PDF form, can be found here.

The irony is that Pinkberry will probably have about seven North Beach branches by the year 2009.
· Fro-Yo Wars: Honeydoo Just Wants to Serve Yogurt [~ESF~]
· Fro-Yo Wars: The Future Depends on Honeydoo! [~ESF~]
· Fro-Yo Wars: North Beach Neighbors Clarify Yogurt Love [~ESF~]

Have thoughts on the Honeydoo issue? Do you think fro-yo should be served or does the THD have a point with regards to the saturation of restaurants? Your thoughts in the comments field or straight to us.

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