Group of 500 San Francisco bars deciding whether or not to require proof of vaccination earlier than entry

Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases caused by the highly contagious Delta variant, a group of 500+ bar owners in San Francisco is carefully considering whether to need vaccination cards to enter their members’ bars across town how new mask recommendations arrived in the Bay Area.

The move to check vaccinations when entering bars of the San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance would be on a voluntary basis, but Ben Bleiman – the head of the San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance – said the alliance could make a statement from the 500-strong group on the recommendation that only vaccinated guests are allowed in, which would include accompanying signage outside the participating bars.

“I didn’t know anyone who was [requiring vaccine cards at first], only the strictest people, “said Bleiman.” In the past 24 hours I’ve seen a lot of people change their tunes. I think we’re in the middle of a big river. “

Although the alliance is unlikely to make a formal decision until next week at the earliest, some members of the alliance are already starting to participate: The Vesuvio Cafe in North Beach decided on Tuesday to require proof of vaccination prior to entry, said owner Janet Clyde.

“We just started because it is clear that there is only part of the population that is not vaccinated,” said Clyde. “And until that settles down, I think it will definitely be safer for our employees and our customers if we limit the indoor area to people who have a vaccination certificate.”

Customers must present a photo or QR code with proof of vaccination before entering Vesuvius. Clyde said she wants to take a proactive stance on requesting vaccinations for clients rather than waiting for government mask mandates. Citing the mask requirement in Los Angeles, Clyde said it was important “to get ahead of it” and that people should understand.

“We had a couple of employees who tested positive and we want to protect our employees and I think we really can’t wait [local government] developing general guidelines at this point, “said Clyde, noting that both cases were groundbreaking COVID cases.” I mean, this is a situation that is happening now. “

Bleiman will most likely make the switch with his own bars as well, he said, which includes Teeth, Tonic and Soda Popinski. “If, you know, 50, 100, 200 bars want to put up a sign saying you need to be vaccinated to enter, I think that’s going to be effective,” Bleiman said.

Bleiman says he’s heard similar stories of groundbreaking cases in other bars in San Francisco. He reiterated Clyde’s assertion that bar owners should precede every possible surge to protect staff and business.

“I think it would be really wise to go ahead and I think our survival will depend on the people in our house feeling safe,” Bleiman said. “And if we can lay a line in the sand – and again, we [as an alliance] Haven’t done this yet – but I think there is potential if we put a stick in the sand so we can find ourselves before it and our customers feel more secure, which means we can get back to normal faster [since] we are clearly not normal yet. “

For its part, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association said while supporting the actions of the Bar Alliance, the reality of checking vaccination status is a challenge for restaurants.

“Checking vaccination status has and poses many challenges for restaurants,” the group said in a statement. “Our employees are not trained to check, our rooms are often porous with numerous entrances and there are questions about logistics as the state app does not seem to work completely.

“We support the measures of the SF Bar Alliance and all companies that take all steps that are in the best interests of their employees and companies,” it said. “However, the bars are set up on a different model with a controlled entrance and with staff who are used to carding guests and checking IDs.”

The group said it will continue to follow directions from local health officials and restaurant members are strongly encouraged to follow recommendations on indoor masking issued on July 16.

Regarding the city’s handling of the pandemic, Bleiman expressed support for their actions but does not want to wait for instructions from them before making the vaccination card requirement change.

“I think that [the San Francisco government is] We still hope our vaccination rates will hold, but anecdotally we see a lot of people with mild to moderate cases of COVID, “said Bleiman.” I see the writing on the wall and I think if we go ahead – and it’s not Like we’re shutting down or something, we’re just saying you need to have a vaccine.

“I also think that for some reason the government everywhere – from federal to state to local – has been so nice to people who are not getting vaccines, and I think this has to stop,” Bleiman continued. “We have to start playing hardball with them, they’re a bunch of a-holes, and you can quote me on that [the vaccine], I speak to the people who can and decide against it. They are selfish and ignorant and put us all at risk and make it harder for us all to recover. And we need to stop treating them like they just don’t have the right information. The information is right there, it doesn’t lie. And they have to stop thinking that they know more than the scientific experts. “

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 3:35 p.m. on July 21st to include a statement from the Golden Gate Restaurant Association regarding vaccination card verification.