Dear Friends and Supporters of SOMA Gay Nightlife,

Thanks for your support during our troubles last year. Without you all we would have gotten nowhere in this process, and The Hole In The Wall Saloon would be only months from closing for good. We wish we had better news about our re-location. Sadly, things have ground to a halt due to one homophobic lady in the housing nearby. Last year we came to an agreement with our neighbors and were approved by the Planning Department, the Police Department, the Board of Supervisors, the Building, Fire, and Health departments, and the Entertainment Commission.

Presently a woman nearby on Dore Alley, still refusing to meet with us after all this time, has sworn to stop our pub from ever opening, actually terming gays in the neighborhood “sexual outlaws” who would “invade my neighborhood."

This is a very sad situation. This person has to date filed an appeal with the Planning Department blocking our building permit, has placed a stop work order on our structural permit, has filed an appeal with the Entertainment Commission blocking our pool table and pin-ball permits, and has filed a motion to block our license transfer with the ABC.

The system is deeply broken when it comes to small business people such as ourselves. And we can only fight this with the help of our friends.

Our hearing with the Board of Appeals is scheduled for Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 5:00pm at City Hall, Room 416. We’d like those who care about The Hole In The Wall to show up if at all possible.

Even if you can’t make that hearing, our hearing with the ABC has not even been scheduled yet. It seems they are dragging their feet for some reason, and this is even more important than the Board of Appeals hearing. Letters of support urging that the ABC address and resolve this matter swiftly are very much needed and should be directed to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and to our two state representatives. Any letters should be sent to:

Carolyn Bufkin

Licensing Representative

Department Of Alcoholic Beverage Control

71 Stevenson Street, Suite 1500

San Francisco, CA. 94105

Assemblyman Mark Leno

455 Golden Gate Avenue

Suite 14300

San Francisco, CA 94102

State Senator Carol Migden

455 Golden Gate Ave.

Suite 14800

San Francisco, CA 94102

We’ll let you know more when we know more ourselves. In the end, it’ll all be worth it. We have to believe that the new Hole In The Wall will be better for all this, and that the entire neighborhood will benefit as well.

Sincerely,

John Gardiner & Joseph Banks

Proprietors

Hole In The Wall Saloon & The Eagle Tavern

E-mail: info@holeinthewallsaloon.com

289 8th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 431-4695
Open daily Noon until 2AM