Santa Rosa eyes proposal to allow public drinking downtown in ‘entertainment zones’

What if downtown Santa Rosa visitors could grab a beer or cocktail to-go from a local bar while enjoying outdoor performances on Old Courthouse Square, sifting through racks of secondhand clothes or shopping for keepsakes from merchants?

City planning officials are in the early stages of exploring such a proposal.

Under so-called entertainment zones, restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries within a defined boundary would be allowed to sell alcohol for public consumption.

There would be rules regulating when drinking on the street is allowed, among other parameters, and city officials warn it won’t be like popular tourist areas like Las Vegas or New Orleans where this is common practice.

Officials are eyeing two initial zones in the city center — around Old Courthouse Square and Railroad Square.

Planning and Economic Development Director Gabe Osburn said the program could attract more foot traffic to those areas, providing a boon to businesses as well as bolstering attendance at events held downtown throughout the year.

San Francisco was the first in the state to permit outdoor drinking as officials there sought to revitalize the Financial District and other neighborhoods, but the program was expanded statewide under Senate Bill 969 signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2024.

The bill, introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, was intended to help local jurisdictions populate and energize downtown areas that have been slower to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding alcohol sales and getting more people onto the street.

Osburn said his team is working through how such a program would operate locally, from the types of beverages that would be allowed off-site to how the district would be policed.

A proposal is expected to be brought forward for the City Council’s consideration in early 2026.

Osburn said his team has discussed the idea with downtown stakeholders who have expressed interest in participating and additional public input will be sought as staff drafts a plan.

Sonu Chandi, president and founder of Chandi Hospitality Group, which owns Beer Baron just off Old Courthouse Square on Fourth Street, said he supports any effort to liven up the area.

Chandi said he’s had patrons come in during the busy summer season on the square to ask if they can take drinks to-go and thinks it would be a popular idea that can help restaurants and bars that are still struggling.

“I think this sends a message that we want people to be downtown,” he said. “Anything we can do to support the businesses and also make it easier for people to enjoy downtown is a good thing.”

Overhaul of alcohol rules

Typically, alcohol sold at bars and restaurants must be consumed on-site.

But within an entertainment zone, patrons would be able to purchase beverages and drink them on the sidewalk, street, plazas and other public areas within the boundary.

Closed or sealed drinks bought at convenience or liquor stores intended for off-site consumption are still prohibited from being opened in public.

Osburn said cities and counties have flexibility in establishing district boundaries under the law as well as setting days and times when public drinking is allowed.

Beverages must be sold in approved non-glass or non-metal containers, and jurisdictions must implement safeguards to ensure alcohol is being sold to those 21 and older, he said.

The idea to establish an entertainment zone was first presented this summer to the Santa Rosa Economic Development Subcommittee, a council working group exploring ways to boost economic activity citywide and particularly in the city’s downtown core.

Council member Victoria Fleming, who serves on the subcommittee, said she was interested in exploring the idea as one way to drive economic growth, adding that it could encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more money if operated responsibly.

Members of the subcommittee suggested starting with one or two well-known areas in the city center. They favored allowing public drinking only during special events such as the Wednesday Night Market held during the summer at Old Courthouse Square or other fairs and festivals.

Two initial zones outlined by staff are:

Old Courthouse Square and Third and Fourth streets from B to D streets.Depot Park and the businesses corridor on Fourth Street in Railroad Square.

Businesses at the Brickyard Center on B Street between Seventh and Ross streets also have expressed interest in establishing something similar there.

Osburn said the city could look at expanding the program to include that and other areas in the future if successful.

Althea Armada, market manager of the Santa Rosa Downtown Market, a weekly farmer’s market that launched this May on Old Courthouse Square and runs through the end of September, said the proposal could draw more people downtown and could help better integrate the brick-and-mortar businesses around the square into the various events held throughout the summer.