SFGate: Japanese Tea Garden dispute boils up again
A Japantown cafe owner who promises to bring in a $500,000 grant for improvements should operate the historic Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park instead of the current vendor who has held the contract for more than 15 years, city staffers have recommended. Supporters say the change will transform what is now mainly a tourist spot that serves Chinese fortune cookies and sells generic souvenirs into a destination providing an authentic Japanese cultural experience. But when the Recreation and Park Department recommended changing the contract three years ago, the current Chinese American vendor claimed the process had been tainted by racial discrimination. And soon after the department released its recommendation on Thursday, the current vendor's son questioned it...more...
