Residents in the Inner Richmond, concerned about late-night violence in the area, lost their appeal to overturn the Geary Boulevard Jack in the Box's after-hours permit, which allows the crud-food chain to remain open until 4 a.m. The brouhaha over their permit began after a firefighter was mowed down by a jerk in an SUV after a verbal argument that began at the Jack in the Box.

Though initially forced to close early following the incident, the Jack in the Box will be allowed to stay open provided the staff gets better training (something about picking up trash outside the restaurant) and they hire two security guards.

While folks in the Inner Richmond are understandably concerned about increasing melee in the area, the fast-food joint's appeal survival is a surprise in a city that has, over the last decade, continued to ebb away at after-hours establishments and nightlife. While keeping a Jack in the Box open until 4 a.m. isn't a huge victory for nightlife crusaders, it's a start.

[SF Ex]