Committee sends Soda Popinski’s off‑sale liquor license transfer to full Board with positive recommendation

The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee voted unanimously June 9 to forward a resolution to the full Board of Supervisors recommending approval of a premise‑to‑premise transfer of an ABC Type 21 off‑sale general liquor license for Bitter Badger Inc, doing business as Soda Popinski’s, at 1548 California Street in District 3.

Officer Salmonson, the SFPD ABC liaison who presented the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ALU) report, told the committee the application had “0 letters of protest, 0 letters of support,” and said the location sits in a parcel and census tract the department classifies as high crime and high saturation. He recommended approval with conditions, including active monitoring of adjacent property to prevent loitering and posting 7‑by‑11‑inch signs with at least 1‑inch lettering stating that open containers are prohibited.

Attorney Mark Rennie, representing the applicant, said the business has operated at California and Larkin for about a decade and plans to dedicate roughly 120 square feet at the front of the bar to a very small off‑sale area of refrigerated shelves emphasizing San Francisco microbrewers and local craft producers. “We really, really wanna support local manufacturing and local brands,” the applicant said, adding the off‑sale would help the business adapt after revenue declines during COVID.

Vice Chair Catherine Stephanie and Chair Gordon Marr both expressed support. Stephanie noted the owner’s community fundraising and charitable work; Marr described Soda Popinski’s as “a wonderful neighborhood bar” that has served the area for a decade.

With no public commenters on the record for this item, Marr moved to direct the clerk to prepare a resolution finding the transfer serves the public convenience and necessity and to send the item to the full Board with a positive recommendation. The motion passed 3–0 (Stephanie: aye; Melgar: aye; Marr: aye).

The committee’s recommendation will be filed with the Board of Supervisors; items acted upon at this meeting were noted as expected to appear on the Board’s June 28 agenda unless otherwise stated.