Thanks to a reader tip, we've learned that the future home of a brewpub on Judah Street in the Outer Sunset was recently tagged with graffiti, reading "DIE YUPPIE SCUM" and "TECH."



The messages were added to the storefront at 4045 Judah St., home to Ken's Cleaners, which is closing up shop on Saturday. A sign in the window states that the owners are retiring after "23 long years," and thanks customers for their patronage.

There's another sign in the window; a California ABC notice, posted above a row of Maneiki Neko figurines, states that Mateveza LLC has applied for a license to sell wine and beer at the location, after Ken's has moved out.

4045 Judah without graffiti. | PHOTO: YELP

If approved, 4045 Judah will become the fifth outpost of Woods Beer, a craft brewing company that has a branch in Oakland, two in San Francisco (on Polk Street and in the Mission), and another opening next month on Treasure Island. Until he was contacted by Hoodline, CEO Jim Woods said he was unaware of the graffiti.

"I'm sure it will be removed shortly," he said via email. (According to city graffiti abatement law, property owners have 15 days from the time they receive a notice to repair blighted property.)

Woods said no one has been displaced for the proposed brewpub, since the dry cleaner decided to retire of his own accord. "Their lease expires at the end of June and they chose not to pursue a renewal, despite being offered one by the landlord, Doug Wong," he said. (We contacted the owner of the dry cleaners, but he chose not to comment.)

Woods, who was born and raised in West Portal, said he doesn't take the graffiti personally. "There are clearly—and understandably—people that are upset about the way San Francisco has changed over the past decade," he said.

Before moving forward with plans to open an Outer Sunset location, Woods said he reached out to area merchants. "It was important to me to let everyone know that we were coming to the neighborhood, and very excited to be a part of the community," he said. "Everyone we've spoken with has been super-supportive and welcoming."

Although he wouldn't disclose many details about his plans for the 1,500 square foot location on Judah, Woods said his company has "made a point of creating community spaces that welcome everyone and are in keeping with the character of the neighborhood," so "this location will be no different, in that respect."

If the new brewpub is approved by the Planning Commission and the ABC, Woods hopes to open by the end of the year. "We're going to create an environment that fits the space and the neighborhood," he said.

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