CEO Jim Woods said he\u2019s been looking into opening a taproom at Fisherman\u2019s Wharf for a few years now. He used to live nearby and is excited to bring his three young sons to the area as a wave of new businesses arrives in the coming year, from Raising Cane\u2019s to Saigon Sandwich.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up going to the Wharf, so it\u2019s going to be fun to be a part of its rebirth, in a way,\u201d\u00a0he told SFGATE.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In its meeting on Tuesday, the Port Commission approved a lease for Woods Beer to take over 2,000 square feet of the ground floor of 2875 Taylor St. It\u2019s a two-year term with an optional third year \u2014 a temporary pop-up intended to activate the space as quickly as possible, so they won\u2019t be making any major changes to the historic seafood restaurant, Woods explained. Fishermen\u2019s Grotto closed back in March 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re mainly going to be using the space as is,\u201d Woods said. \u201cI think it\u2019s very charming. It\u2019s got a really nice Fisherman\u2019s Wharf vibe, and it\u2019s pretty nostalgic.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bar won\u2019t pay a base rent to the Port but rather will pay it 10% of gross sales in the summer season and 8% in the winter season, plus a $1,000-per-month reimbursement for utility costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou may see more deals structured in this way if this works out for the Port, which I think a lot of people would love to see,\u201d Woods said. \u201cIt\u2019s a challenge to fully utilize these spaces when it\u2019s still up in the air what ultimately they\u2019re going to have to do in terms of big-picture renovations \u2026 these temporary activations could be a really great tool.\u201d<\/p>\n