BeChinatown invites same vendors to sell products at the upcoming inauguration day Chinatown night market? Chinatown restaurants/drink shops demand a fair and open process

SAN FRANCISCO — If you had visited the monthly San Francisco Chinatown night markets in 2024, you might find that the food and vendors were not much different every month. The upcoming Inauguration Day Night Market on January 8, 2025 is expected to present the same vendors to you if you plan to come and celebrate Mayor-Elect Daniel Lurie to be sworn in as the 46th Mayor of San Francisco.

Lurie and his team announced on December 30, 2024 a list of the inaugural events to be held starting January 4, Saturday, until the inauguration day on January 8. Wednesday.

Among the inaugural events, there will be cleanup services in Tenderloin and Mission, interfaith ceremonies around the city, inauguration ceremony at City Center and a Chinatown Night Market & Community Festival to held in the evening on January 8.

The venue of the Inauguration Day Chinatown Night Market & Community Festival will be on three blocks of Grant Avenue between Sacramento and Jackson Streets, as well as nearby side streets including Ross Alley and Commercial Street. The hours for the event will be from 5:30 pm to 9 pm, according to the information released by Lurie's office.

"An inclusive community celebration featuring local food vendors, cultural activities and performances will occur during an evening night market. Attendees will be treated to live music including a local headliner and are encouraged to RSVP online," Team Lurie wrote in the announcement released on December 30, 2024.

The online information provided by Team Lurie has shown that the Inauguration Day Night Market is organized by Team Lurie and partnered with BeChinatown, a nonprofit organization which received $100,000 donation from the Civic Joy Fund in 2024 to hold a monthly night market every second Friday night along Grant Avenue in Chinatown.

The Civic Joy Fund was co-founded by Lurie and Manny Yekutiel, a civic activist and owner of the popular Manny's Restaurant in the Mission District.

Sources told Wind Newspaper that the idea of hosting an Inauguration Day Night Market and Community Festival in Chinatown was from Lurie to thank and support the Chinese community. The cost of the night event outdoors in Chinatown is paid by Lurie's inauguration committee.

Kaman Au, owner of the Enter-the-Cafe and Yomie's Rice Yogurt in Chinatown, urged Lurie to put a fair and open application process in place to let all interested businesses have equal opportunity to participate and benefit from the night market.

"Mayor Lurie visited our cafe during the campaign. I want to participate in the night market to show my support to him as well. On the other hand, it is not fair for the organizer to let the same businesses repeatedly benefit from the night market events," Au said with frustration.

Ha Tea on Powell Street in Chinatown has been in business for several years. The boba tea shop has never been invited to participate in any of the Chinatown night markets in 2024. Eva Liang, owner of Ha Tea, always wants to participate and promote her drink products to many more customers. She did not know how to submit her application as a vendor and did not hear about the upcoming night market on January 8.

Robert Chiang, Presiding President of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) , appreciated Lurie’s support to the Chinese community by hosting the night market.

Chiang echoed and supported having an open process for all businesses from the Chinese community and Chinatown to participate in the Chinatown night markets. "I have heard many complaints about the Chinatown night markets. It needs to be fixed to make it fair for everyone."

Lurie's team did not provide details about the cost or donation on the Inauguration Day Chinatown Night Market. "Regarding the Chinatown night market, the inaugural committee covered nominal costs to put up tents for the vendors, have tables/work spaces and for signage, etc.," said Maxwell Szabo, spokesman for Mayor-Elect Daniel Lurie.

"Regarding the vendors, Donald Luu of the Chinese Chamber, former Supervisor Mabel Teng and Jenny Leung [of Chinese Culture Center] have all been involved in the planning of the night market activities in addition to Lily Lo, and we're grateful for their support to pull together such a large event so quickly," Szabo further said. "My understanding is that Lily has also been reaching out to merchants in Chinatown so that they are aware of the event and are able to choose to keep their businesses open later to take advantage of the crowd expected to come to Chinatown that evening."

However, just like the previous Chinatown night market events held in 2024, vendor application information for the inauguration day night market is not available online.

BeChinatown's Facebook page even did not mention the upcoming night market was planned to celebrate the inauguration of Lurie swearing in as the 46th Mayor of San Francisco.

Chinatown merchants complained in 2024 that the vendor application process for night markets was all secret. About the same 30 to 40 vendors out of 160 total food and drink storefronts in Chinatown were allowed to have booths in each monthly night market. The majority of Chinatown restaurants and cafes were excluded.

"The Lurie Inauguration Team hired professionals to draw and submit the permit late last week. The SFMTA approved it late yesterday [on December 31, 2024]. They asked me to help them with vendors only. I was told to use previous vendors so they can approve it within a week," Lily Lo responded to Wind Newspaper's inquiry.

"The 18 food vendors will be on 2 blocks only from Sacramento to Washington Streets. The 900 block of Grant Ave will be a stage with no food," Lo added. "I have been distributing flyers to businesses on Grant Ave since yesterday [December 31, 2024]."