San Francisco supervisors eliminate annual license fees for restaurants, bars
San Francisco supervisors approved Mayor London Breed's plan to eliminate annual license fees for 91% of restaurants and 87% of bars and nightclubs, aides said Tuesday.
The change is intended to make it easier to operate, grow, and open a small business, the mayor's office said in a press release. The fees will be replaced in 2026 with revenue from Prop M, a business tax measure approved by voters in November.
The legislation indefinitely waives 49 annual license fees, providing $10 million annually in relief to San Francisco business owners, the mayor's office said.
"To help small businesses, we've cut red tape, we've cut taxes, we've improved public safety, and now we are cutting more fees," Breed said in a statement. Currently, small business owners pay thousands of dollars in annual fees to operate restaurants, food trucks, bars, and bakeries, according to the mayor's office.
There are charges for such things as outdoor seating, having billiard tables, and extended hours. Most of the fees are charged by individual city departments and collected through a unified license bill from the Treasurer & Tax Collector, the mayor's office said.
"Cutting $10 million a year in costs for small businesses is a big win for our city," Treasurer Jose Cisneros said in a statement.
