Concessionaire Bond - City and County of San Francisco, CA in California

Brief Summary

San Francisco does not publish one concessionaire bond amount. The figure is written into your lease or permit, and the City collects it when you sign. A surety bond lets you meet that security requirement without tying up the full sum in cash, as long as the department accepts a bond under your agreement.

Concessionaires who lease or permit City property in San Francisco, such as Recreation and Park cafes, tennis centers and food truck sites, must post security for faithful performance when the lease or permit is signed. The amount is set in each agreement's Basic Lease Information or permit terms, and the City may draw on it to cover unpaid rent or fees, damage to the premises, or any other default.

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How to Apply for a Concessionaire Bond:

• Find the security amount in your lease Basic Lease Information or your permit terms.
• Confirm with the City department that a surety bond is an accepted form of security under your agreement.
• Get any bond form or wording the department requires.
• Have the legal name of the concessionaire exactly as it appears on the lease or permit.
• Complete the bond application and pay the premium.
• Deliver the executed bond to the City when you sign the lease or permit.

Detailed Information About the California Concessionaire Bond:

The amount comes from your agreement

There is no citywide schedule for this bond. Each San Francisco concession lease or permit names its own security amount. Recreation and Park Department RFPs include a section titled Security Deposit and Performance Bond, and the department's standard lease leaves the figure blank in the Basic Lease Information until the deal is negotiated. One recent example, the 2025 Mission Creek Park Pavilion RFP, set the security at $50,000. Read your own agreement for the number that applies to you.

What the security covers

The City's lease form says the security is held for the faithful performance of all terms, covenants and conditions of the lease. The City may apply it to repair damage to the premises or improvements caused by the tenant, its agents or invitees, and to cure any other failure to perform, including unpaid rent or permit fees. If the City draws on it, the concessionaire must restore it to the original amount within five days under the lease form.

Check which forms of security are accepted

Each RFP and lease states what form the security may take. Some name a surety bond alongside cash, while others list only a certificate of deposit or a letter of credit. Before you order the bond, confirm with the City department running the concession that a surety bond satisfies your agreement, and get any required bond form.

A second bond some concessionaires miss

Some Recreation and Park leases also require that all of the lessee's employees be bonded. That is a fidelity or employee dishonesty bond, separate from the performance security on this page.

Cost

The premium is a fraction of the bond amount, set by the surety after reviewing the owners' credit, finances and concession experience. Larger security amounts usually bring more underwriting.

Eligibility and Requirements for a California Concessionaire Bond:

• City and County of San Francisco named as obligee, through the department that issued the lease or permit.
• Bond amount equal to the security figure in your agreement.
• Surety licensed to write bonds in California.
• Security kept at its full amount for the entire term.
• Employee bonding where the lease requires it, as a separate instrument.

California Concessionaire Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the California Concessionaire Bond: