⏩ Little resistance:
S.F. bars, restaurants that already require proof get few complaints.
Kathryn Kulczyk was nervous when she started requiring proof of vaccination at her popular Haight cocktail bar, the Alembic, back in June. People seemed annoyed at the door. Some even threatened to cough on staff.
While a growing number of Bay Area restaurants and bars have been requiring proof of vaccination for indoor dining over the past few weeks, the majority of local business owners have held off because of fear of backlash from customers or logistical challenges. Indeed, harassment has become common for the restaurants and bars that have received national media attention.
But The Chronicle spoke with a slew of businesses that have already started vaccinated-only policies, and for the most part, restaurateurs found a pleasant surprise: It’s gone exceedingly well. Customers largely haven’t pushed back, at least those who are showing up in person.
Even at the Alembic, Kulczyk said the frustrated customers now are obviously out-of-state and international tourists.
“I’ve noticed more of an acceptance, especially with San Francisco locals,” she said.
It’s a good sign as more businesses start this policy. All San Francisco restaurant and bar owners will soon need to require proof of vaccination for indoor service, following a Thursday announcement from Mayor London Breed.
Debi Cohn described an “an overwhelming positive response” at her Mission District tapas bar Asiento, with zero backlash from customers. At buzzy Indonesian restaurant Warung Siska in Redwood City, owner Anne Le Ziblatt said that very few unvaccinated people have tried to enter. And those not allowed in haven’t caused a scene so far.
“Everyone is really happy we’re doing this,” Le Ziblatt said. “We feel good about the fact that we’ve made the right decision.”
One of the earliest adopters was San Jose bar Haberdasher, which implemented its vaccine mandate when it reopened indoors on June 16. A smooth process required some planning. Owner Cache Bouren wrote a script for employees so they’re prepared to answer questions about what forms of proof are accepted, why the policy is necessary and, if needed, when to hand over Bouren’s business card for customers to complain. But conflict at the door has been minimal, and now regulars know to hand over their proof with their ID right away.
“The more of us that do it, it just becomes less of a strange thing,” he said. “People get used to it.”
Though Napa Michelin-starred restaurant La Toque is popular with tourists, owner Ken Frank said it’s been easy to weed out the unvaccinated before anyone arrives. That’s because the restaurant is heavily communicating the policy in advance. After making a reservation, diners automatically get an email saying they must be vaccinated. When employees call diners to confirm reservations, they reiterate the policy.
“The anti-vaxxers self-identify and demand their refunds,” Frank said. Since La Toque is so busy, the restaurant can easily replace those diners with people on the wait list.
“I think it’s easier for us to deal with it than a restaurant with a walk-in policy,” he added. “Then you’d need a guy at the door. I’m not a nightclub.”
Yet even casual restaurants that rely on walk-in business say that checking vaccination status has been a non-issue.
Oakland Vietnamese spot Tay Ho has been having diners line up outside before entering for the entirety of the pandemic. That’s because the space is small, with only 11 tables, and takeout is popular. When people show up, they either wait on one side of the doors for takeout or wait on the other side to be let in — and now, to also have their proof of vaccination checked.
Thanks to the state’s digital vaccine record, owner Denise Huynh said it hasn’t been a problem dealing with customers who didn’t bring their physical vaccine cards.
The policy isn’t just an attempt at keeping customers safe — it’s also a necessary measure if Tay Ho wants to survive, Huynh said. The restaurant is severely shortstaffed, with Huynh and her brother taking turns washing dishes. If an employee got infected with COVID-19, Tay Ho would need to shut down and might not recover.
“We can’t afford to get any one of us sick,” she said. “It’s like missing an arm. That’s it.”
That said, Haberdasher is one of the bars that gets harassment, such as some angry emails calling the bar staff commies and segregationists. Bouren finds most of them funny. Bars that announced vaccination policies early and were named in media coverage seem to be facing the most harassment, though it’s largely online and not coming from locals.
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But some of the bars that first announced vaccination policies are regularly encountering upset people online — and occasionally in person. Tim Obert, CEO of Seven Stills Brewery & Distillery, described his San Francisco business as a poster child for the vaccinated-only movement. Seven Stills was on several local television news programs and got mentioned in newspapers nationwide. Obert even gave an interview with Neil Cavuto on Fox News.
“The second I got off, the phones were blowing up,” he said. “It was people calling from Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina — people calling to say, ‘I’m going to do whatever I can to take down your business.’ ”
The outrage is leading to a constant flood of calls, emails and negative online reviews, as well as a small fraction of people expressing their dissatisfaction in person. It’s been painful to receive so much vitriol over trying to make people safer, Obert said.
The spike in negative reviews led Yelp to recently promise to “proactively” monitor for inappropriate reviews and allow restaurants to advertise their vaccination rules. This week, OpenTable similarly began adding vaccination requirements.
At Seven Stills, business is slow, though it’s hard to tell if it’s because of the policy, the delta variant or just a normal summer slowdown before school starts again.
Still, Obert said he doesn’t regret it. He’s even looking into what it would take to turn one of his breweries into a vaccination site.
“We are getting some positive feedback, but it’s funny,” he said. “The people who are vaccinated are still wearing their masks and they’re still sitting outside.”