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Ramen An secures beer-and-wine license for Buchanan Street opening

Ramen An secures beer-and-wine license for Buchanan Street opening

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

New Japantown ramen spot files business registration and activates beer-and-wine license; health and building approvals remain.

2 days ago: State alcohol license activated

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

Ramen An, a planned ramen restaurant at 1705 Buchanan St in San Francisco's Japantown, cleared two permitting steps this fall. The city business registration was filed Aug. 14, and the state alcohol license became active Sept. 22.

That license, type 41, allows on-sale beer and wine served with food, not hard liquor. The restaurant still needs health, building, and fire approvals. These records are two approvals in a longer chain; they don't confirm the doors are open.

Why it matters

Ramen An can pour beer and wine, but it can't serve ramen until health and building inspectors clear the space—the real gate to opening.

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Key Indicators

2
Permit milestones passed
Business registration plus an active ABC license.
41
ABC license type
Type 41: on-sale beer and wine at an eating place.
39
Days between filings
Aug. 14 registration to Sept. 22 license activation.

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Organizations Involved

Timeline

August 2026 September 2026

2 events Latest: 2 days ago
  1. State alcohol license activated

    Latest Licensing

    California ABC type 41 license active: beer and wine served with food.

  2. City business registration filed

    Registration

    Ramen An files its San Francisco business registration for 1705 Buchanan St.

Scenarios

1

Ramen An opens its doors and starts serving

Likely Resolves by Mar 1, 2027

Discussed by: Local food blogs and SF permitting observers; the remaining approvals are routine if the buildout passes inspection.

If Ramen An clears health and building inspections, it can open within months. The beer-and-wine license is already active, so the main hurdle is the physical space passing review.

2

Permit backlog delays opening into 2027

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: SF restaurant operators and commercial brokers who cite slow city review times.

Health, building, or fire issues could stall the opening. San Francisco is known for long approval queues, and even minor corrections can add months.

3

Ramen An abandons the space and the license lapses

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Rare but documented in SF when buildouts fail or financing dries up.

If the buildout fails or the operator walks away, the ABC license can be revoked or transferred, and the space goes back to the market.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

October 2008

Ippudo enters the US (2008)

Ippudo, a Fukuoka chain, opened its first US shop on Fourth Avenue in New York's East Village. Lines stretched down the block, and its tonkotsu ramen became a template for American ramen shops.

Then

Ramen demand exploded, and Japanese chains plus local imitators opened across the country.

Now

Ramen moved from cheap college food to a culinary category, with beer and sake service standard.

Why this matters now

Ramen An taps this same market; its beer-and-wine license matches how US ramen shops are built.

2016

Mensho Tokyo opens in San Francisco (2016)

Mensho Tokyo, known for rich, layered ramen, opened a San Francisco shop on Geary Street and drew long waits. It later expanded to other US cities.

Then

It became a local favorite and helped cement SF as a ramen city.

Now

New ramen shops kept opening across the city, and Japantown became a natural cluster for them.

Why this matters now

Ramen An joins an established SF ramen scene, and its beer-and-wine plan follows the local pattern.

Sources

(3)

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