Panel SA: War between neighborhoods and dark kitchens has suspended license and boy with bacon nickname

The arm struggle of residents of residential neighborhoods against the so-called dark kitchens, conglomerates of restaurant kitchens that work exclusively for delivery, has had new chapters in recent days.

The City of São Paulo suspended the permit for the construction of one of these establishments in Jardim Fonte do Morumbi, in the Panamby region. The decision mentions differences between the approved projects.

The company carrying out the work was identified as São Paulo Ventura 14 Participações LTDA, linked to Kitchen Central, which has been criticized by movements such as “Kitchen Central Aqui Não!”.

In its defense, Kitchen Central says that “the project of the Panamby unit meets requirements for preserving the green area above the minimum required”. It also highlights that the license was suspended, not revoked.

“This is known behavior from neighborhoods that adopt the motto of ‘not in my backyard,’ and exemplifies the way in which some neighborhood movements take a stand against certain changes in their neighborhood”, says the company.

The episode marks a victory for residents who are pressing the São Paulo Chamber to pass a bill that regulates dark kitchens. Among the proposals is the ban on the operation of establishments during the night, between 1 am and 5 am, unless they provide adequate acoustics.

The case went through a public hearing in the Chamber last month. Neighboring a dark kitchen, a Brooklyn resident said his son was called “bacon” at school for smelling of grease.

According to Roberto Delmanto, founder of the SOS Panamby collective and who was present at one of the hearings, what bothers the most is the odor and smoke. “It’s one thing to have a pizzeria, a steakhouse. It’s another thing to have 32 operating at the same time, almost 24 hours a day,” he says.

Joana Wedge with Paulo Ricardo Martins and Gilmara Santos