That said, the festivity didn’t come cheap. The Downtown SF Partnership — the community benefit district that includes the Front Street entertainment zone — received a $50,000 grant through the city’s Downtown ENRG initiative to fund entertainment and nightlife and spent $25,000 on Oktoberfest. Schroeder’s, Harrington’s, and the third bar in the zone, Royal Exchange, each pitched in $10,000, while real estate firm BXP chipped in $5,000.
But the leader of the Downtown SF Partnership said the event’s success brought ample rewards beyond the giddy attendees and ample beer sales.
“There was definitely a ripple effect with other businesses,” said president and CEO Robbie Silver. He walked by nearby bars and restaurants like Perbacco, Tadich Grill, and Irish Times and saw folks wearing the free Oktoberfest hats passed out to attendees. “People are not only going to come for an event, they’re going to go to multiple bars, or dinner, and spend their dollars downtown,” he said.
As for Front Street’s entertainment zone, the team has plans for a holiday event in December, a St. Patrick’s Day party, and smaller evenings featuring live music or outdoor movies. A Halloween bash could be in the cards for next month. While there’s more competition downtown for the year’s spookiest holiday, Bleiman and Chun said the momentum from Oktoberfest’s success seems worth chasing.
“We kind of feel like we have to do something for Halloween,” Bleiman said, “We’re the fucking Front Street entertainment zone!”
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