SF Chinatown gets some financial relief from the city

San Francisco Chinatown streets are less busy because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some relief is finally coming to the struggling businesses in San Francisco's Chinatown after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $1.9 million to those businesses hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to that sum, the office of Mayor London Breed is also planning to add $500,000 into the budget and another $100,000 from the Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC), bringing the total funding to $2.5 million.

The funds, which were approved last Jan. 19, will help those Chinatown businesses that suffered because of the health measures required to fight the pandemic, which included a ban in indoor dining.

The plight of the Chinatown businesses was brought to light when the 100-year old Far East Cafe announced its intention to close by the Dec. 31.

“We’re ready to fight to preserve this iconic neighborhood and this is one small step toward that,” Supervisor Aaron Peskin told the San Francisco Chronicle.

"San Francisco’s iconic Chinatown neighborhood has suffered from the triple threat of Central Subway construction delays, early xenophobic attacks and an extended shutdown that has made already struggling immigrants even poorer," Peskin's office said in a statement to Hoodline shortly after the Jan. 19 vote.

This financial assistance will help fund the Feed + Fuel Chinatown, a program launched in partnership with the nonprofit SF New Deal and the Human Services Agency that launched in April to help businesses hurt by the pandemic and at the same time, to feed the poor residents in the Chinatown neighborhood.

The funding will help the community in multiple ways, including funding roughly 60 restaurants, keeping their employees on the payroll and feeding 2,400 residents over eight weeks. It will also help control the spread of COVID-19 through shared kitchens of single-room occupancy hotels.

At this juncture, 600 residents have already received meal vouchers from 10 restaurants, including Yuet Lee Seafood Restaurant, Hang Ah Tea Room and the Far East Cafe.

"Our seniors and families in crowded SROs (Single Room Occupancy) are at higher risk of COVID exposure and going hungry, and our legacy restaurants are at risk of shuttering for good," said Peskin. 

"The cancellation of the nation’s largest Lunar New Year parade is especially dramatic, with most small businesses typically making 30% of their income in that one week alone.

"The statistics are startling," Peskin continued: "Before the pandemic, 97% of the families were working and gainfully employed. After shelter-in-place, half of them, 45% have lost all of their income.”

Far East Cafe closure postponed

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Aaron Peskin spoke about his rescue plan during a press conference in front of the Far East Cafe.

Well, Dec. 31st has come and gone and the Far East Cafe in San Francisco's Chinatown is still operating ... but time and money is running out unless the city comes through with financial assistance.

The Far East's owner Bill Lee and investors decided postpone it's planned Dec. 31 shutdown in order to fulfill orders through Jan. 7 and at the same time, pray that the $1.9 million that is supposed to be coming from the City Of San Francisco is able to cut through the red tape.

The $1.9 million that would go to Chinatown businesses is a measure introduced by Supervisor Aaron Peskin. last week is intended to help those businesses hurt by the safe practices meant to reduce the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ordinarily that rescue funds would take a month or committee meetings, hearings and planning before it is officially approved but Peskin is trying to speed up the process in order to help the 100-year old Far East Cafe which announced its intentnion to shutter two weeks ago.

If approved, the Far East and other Chinatown restaurants will take part in a program that would have them prepare meals for the elderly, poor and homeless.

The Far East Cafe is a landmark institution on Chinatown's main street, the fabled Grant Avenue and one of only two restaurants that still have room for large banquets. With the current indoor dining ban and the loss of tourists, the institution had been trying to subsist on takeout orders only.

Supervisor introduces measure to help Chinatown restaurants

The fabled Far East Cafe is set to close at the end of the year.

This holiday season, there's a glimmer of hope that help will be coming to San Francisco's Chinatown's struggling businesses.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin, whose district includes Chinatown, introduced a measure Tuesday that would give $1.9 million to restaurants to feed people in need in the neighborhood.

Peskin is hoping to secure $1.9 million to pay restaurants to feed people in need in the neighborhood.

Peskin's action came after it was learned last week that the iconic 100-year old Far East Cafe was planning to close its doors at the end of the year.

Peskin told the San Francisco Chronicle that he will try to speed up the process for the funding assistance that would normally take 30 days to approve.

Far East Cafe's manager Bill Lee told NBC News that he doesn't know if the assistance will change his plans closing. He said he will talk to investors about the city's rescue plan.

The decision to close the Grant Street restaurant was because the health measures meant to combat the coronavirus pandemic such as social distancing, stay-at-home suggestions and a ban on indoor dining has hurt his business. Not only did the restaurant lose regular customers, but the money from tourists have completely disappeared.