I guess those dudes upstairs hated Schmidt’s from the beginning, and have had their sign up for a while. Mission Local wrote about the drama over the summer (it’s a good read), and now Schmidt’s has the article posted in their window:
Would a BAD NEIGHBORS sign keep you from going to a restaurant you liked? I dunno. Beretta could shit on their upstairs neighbors’ doorstep on a regular basis and I’d still be there later enjoying my margherita with burrata, squid ink risotto, both bruschettas and an Improved Whiskey or two.
, and now Schmidt’s has the article posted in their window: Would a BAD NEIGHBORS sign keep you from going to a restaurant you liked? […]</p>
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I’m MORE likely to want to go there now.
Living above a restaurant or any other food production place usually sucks.
Beretta could shit on their neighbors’ doorstep and I still wouldn’t set foot in that yuppie joint.
I used to live above their other restaurant on South Van Ness, and I can vouch that they were always good neighbors. People waiting for tables or smoking could be loud on weekend nights, but it was usually over by 11:00, and the restaurant itself never made a lot of noise. Everyone at the restaurant is really nice, and they even delivered to our apartment in their early days.
I assume they didn’t intall equipment to the roof of your building that made it vibrate for 16 hours a day and refuse to do anything about it.
Kudos to the bitchy sign-posters for resurrecting a post from a year and a half ago.
I really like Schmidt’s. I was in there recently and heard the stomping from upstairs. Reading the mission local article I discovered that Patricia Kemper’s apartment is rent controlled and she’s been there 30 years. That really is the problem. My rough estimate is she’s paying around $500 a month. She has what are euphemistically called golden handcuffs. So she’s pissed off that a restaurant moves in but can’t leave facing a 200% rent increase. So her recourse is to act like two-year old.
Ah, so if you benefit from rent control you can’t complain anymore. Nice. But I guess you just not a rent control supporter. Perhaps you don’t plan on being in SF for more than the time it takes to finish your party and make your connections, then jet.
Make everyone pay what the market will bear. Rich-only zone ahead.
Chully, I think you misread my post. I wasn’t commenting on rent control either for or against, I was speculating that becuase she has a sweetheart deal her options are limited. If you read the mission local post, you’ll see that she has refused mediation. Instead, as I have observed, she stomps on the floor. This is what a 2 year old does.
You can view the golden handcuffs from Schmidt’s perspective too. The articles talk about the investment they have in the place. They can’t move either. But Schmidt’s are adults, they are open to mediation.
OK so that’s the reasoned retort. Now here’s how I really feel. You sound like a complete ass. What fucking party are you talking about? What jet are you speaking of? The mission is my home. I live and work here, I’m not going anywhere. You sound like you’re hung up on class, and I hear a tinge of racism in between the lines. So in the immortal words of Cee Lo fuck you
You’re reading a whole lot of things into Jack Walker’s comment that simply aren’t there. He’s just outlining the woman’s reason for not moving away from a location that she clearly doesn’t like anymore. That, and rolling his eyes at her counter-productive behavior (she is now in no position to negotiate any further accommodations from the restaurant owner).
And, just for the record, do you believe that all your neighbors should have the right to black-ball you from living where you do?
Hey Jack, I re-read your post and my comment, and Cranky’s, and I did misread your post, and read into it more than was there. I’m sorry about that.
I like Schmidt’s, and will continue to eat there, but feel that they lost the moral high ground when they stooped to their neighbor’s level.
it can’t be that bad! I mean, i live in a single room above a bowling alley and below another bowling alley!
If Schmidt’s goes under because of her, I say we all chip in and start an all-night hip hop club in that spot just to piss her off more.
“The staff has had to explain the problem to customers and at one point someone came inside and used sign language to say shame.” – ML
That’s one way of describing it.
I love love love Schmidt’s. Plus, the owners are good peeps who live in the neighborhood, and have lived here for a long time.
And yes, the upstairs neighbor is probably upset because there is now a successful tenant downstairs, after at least 10 years or so when the storefront now occupied by Schmidt’s was vacant (and thus silent).
It’s unfortunate the woman upstairs decided to act like a toddler, but Schmidt’s has taken a once-desolate corner of the Mission and made it worth visiting. VIVA SCHMIDT’S! VIVA LOS SCHNITZELS!
I walk past this sign daily and all it serves to accomplish is making me feel really bad for the business located under such a grade-A asshole.
What a nightmare! I heart Schmidt’s even more now. They are truly decent people for dealing with this as they have. I like that they post Mission Local’s article to give more info.
I think this obligates me to visit this restaurant. I don’t even know what schnitzel is…
Her sign is a rallying cry for me to patronize Schmidt’s as much as I can. I’ve had it with folks who want to deaden this city by acting out against legitimate businesses. It’s a big country where most homes are not above a thriving business in the heart of a city. The sign is GREAT advertisement as it means that the business is thriving and popular. Noise is the sound of commerce. I live in Chinatown, btw, and couldn’t be happier with the buzz outside. I’d love to see her try that sort of crap over here.
I love how know nothing know-it-alls love to spout off about crap they know nothing about.
Don’t be so harsh on yourself bro.
Schmidts got a 78 from the health department
The Mission Local blog post linked in this article is biased and one sided. They didn’t even attempt to get my roommates side of the story, yes I live with the “bad neighbors lady”.
We lived in beautiful harmony with the El Faro market for years. They cooked in the back and there was never any problem. One day the landlord decided to take a stab at running a restaurant and evicted our convenient little market/ take out food place downstairs. He got some partners to front for him and open a beer bar in it’s place. We protested and got the neighborhood together to sign a letter, we successfully put a hold on the beer and wine license.
About a year went by and we were contacted by David Peirce and his wife, believe her name is Christine Schmidt, about how they wanted to take over the space but our hold on the license was still in place. Should have smelled a rat there. They promised us that they cared about the other people in the building and that they’d be good neighbors. they said we could always talk to them about any problem and that we’d always get a healthy discount when we ate there. I love beer and German food so I was falling in love with these guys. I talked my roommates into retracting their objection to the alcohol license.
Within a week Schmidt’s installed some loud equipment on to the roof of our building that made our whole flat shake like a buss was going by non stop for 16 hours a day. I didn’t think anything of it, I figured all I had to do was show my new buddy David Peirce and get it sorted out.
I called him up and he came over and felt the vibrations. He said that he’d get right on it and have his fan guy come out as soon as possible to fix it. After a few days of no action and no reply to emails my roommate called a city inspector out to check it out. The inspector in his notes says that the fan isn’t loud enough to violate the noise ordinance and while there is a noticeable vibration unfortunately there is no “vibration ordinance”. Seeing that they weren’t technically in violation of any law Schmidt’s decided to do nothing about the vibration for months until it cased my roommate to have a nervous breakdown. I don’t want to go into any details about my roommates’ breakdown but quickly after the police were called out they finally had the equipment repaired. Even though the vibration has been reduced and can only be felt in a couple of rooms now we still have to live with the noise and Schmidt’s couldn’t care less about the way they’ve shaken our lives apart.
I ask you, do you think Schmidt’s are good or bad neighbors?
I think they’re good neighbors.
Why’d you turn down their request for mediation?
1) I didn’t turn down anything.
2) There was never a genuine offer of mediation.
3) the only issue is the equipment they’ve installed on the roof and they know it. Either they are willing to take it down or they aren’t. What would be the point of mediation?
4) the owners of Schmidts have lied about my roommate on the News, she isnt eager to be in the same room as them.
Wow I’m surprised people are being so rude to you. Every one of them would probably cry like babies if an industrial fan was installed on their roof.
That thoroughly sucks about the vibration, that would drive me completely insane, you have my sympathies for whatever that’s worth.
And about your neighbor calling you “passive aggressive”: bullshit, your sign is good old fashioned aggressive, nothing passive about it. In fact the only thing passive aggressive that I see here is his little “good neighbor” sign. What a prick.
Don’t like shaking and loud noise? Hmmm… maybe SF is not the right place for ya.
Do you really think it’s OK to move into a building and disrupt the lives of your neighbors? Where do you live, maybe I can help you appreciate the pain we’ve lived through.
Went to Schmidt’s for the first time a few weeks ago and it was delicious and fairly reasonably priced. I’ll definitely be back.
I’m guessing Ms. Kemper is either a Legal Secretary or a MFT…
i vote with the neighbors and will definitely never patronize this restaurant.