I wish it was something juicier to report.  This isn’t the story of Richard Hatch who, idiotically, didn’t pay taxes on the million dollars he won and was promptly sent to prison.  The isn’t the story of Jonny Fairplay, who though not a Survivor winner, has had his share of legal woes. No, this is the story of Yul Kwon, the winner of Survivor: Cook Islands.  Once voted Favorite Survivor Winner by Entertainment Weekly magazine, Kwon played one of the most strategic and honest games in Survivor history, making him a fan favorite.  However, it doesn’t seem the people of San Francisco would vote him as their favorite Survivor.  This is the story of Yul Kwon, the city of San Francisco, and some yogurt.

Here’s the story.  Kwon wants something simple: to open a yogurt store with some friends in the North Beach section of San Francisco.  The problem is that North Beach residents have a retail ordinance in place, forbidding any chain stores from entering their neighborhood.  No one cares who he is, they don’t want a chain store in their neighborhood.  “It doesn’t matter if he’s the Shah of Iran or the winner of Survivor,” said North Beach Supervisor Aaron Peskin. “The law’s the law’s the law.”

The issue is not that Kwon wants to own a yogurt store, but what constitutes a chain stores.  He is looking to open a branch of the frozen yogurt store, Red Mango.  When he first applied for the permit to open the store, there were only four Red Mangos nationwide.  Today, according to their website, there are now over 20 different locations.  According to North Beach, any store that owns more than 11 locations in considered a chain.

“We’re trying to preserve a really special neighborhood,” North Beach small business owner Tony Azzollini said. “There’s already a yogurt place coming in, and it’s run by a family business.”  It seems Kwon and his buddies are going to have an uphill battle in order to sell that frozen yogurt.  Have they considered just going into business for themselves?

– Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, Red Mango
(Image courtesy of CBS)

Gina Scarpa

Staff Writer, BuddyTV