A devastating wildfire in Los Angeles that has killed more than 20 people and forced the evacuation of more than 150,000 residents from Malibu to the San Fernando Valley is now threatening the local restaurant industry.
Several local eateries were destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, and business for others has dropped dramatically as many of their patrons were evacuated.
“Last night we served 45 to 50 people on a shift, but normally we serve 200,” said Tal Ronen, owner of Crossroads Kitchen, an upscale vegan fine dining restaurant in Los Angeles' Beverly Grove neighborhood. . he told Eater Los Angeles over the weekend.
“We can't continue like this.”
Ronen said it would be difficult for his company to keep the 60 employees who “make our living” employed.
“I don't want to tell anyone what to do right now…but if you can afford it, order something to-go,” Ronen told Eater Los Angeles.
Brett Thompson, a Michelin-starred chef who owns and operates Pez Coastal Kitchen in Pasadena, said business at his restaurant has dropped 85% over the past two weeks.
“It was heartbreaking for the staff. We were only able to keep it on three or four days a week,” Thompson told Eater Los Angeles.
“It feels like I've been through a war,” Thompson said with a sigh as he looked at the empty tables inside the restaurant.
Caitlin Cutler is co-owner of Ronan, a Michelin-recognized Melrose Avenue eatery for its handmade Neapolitan-style pizza.
Cutler, who owns and operates Ronan's with her husband, chef Daniel Cutler, told Eater Los Angeles that the emptiness was as much emotional as it was financial.
“Everyone has this eerie feeling of wanting to stay home, be safe, stay indoors, get away from the bad air quality…It feels like people are leaving Los Angeles to get away. ,” Cutler said.
Cutler said she and her husband closed the restaurant for two days while the fire raged.
When it reopened, “we found that no one was out.”
“The number of covers has decreased by 60 to 70 percent,” she says.
The timing of the fire couldn't have been worse for Chef Yo Marcus Johnson, co-owner of Two Homme, a newly renovated Inglewood diner specializing in West African cuisine.
“We took out a personal loan to cover it,” Johnson told Eater Los Angeles.
Although the fire continues, “there are no customers,” he said. “Many people have been forced to evacuate or are afraid to leave their homes.”
“We feel the same way,” Johnson continued.
“Some people can't afford this right now and can't even imagine having a good dinner. But we have to pay our staff.”
Felipe Ortega, 64, a bartender at Gladstone's in the Pacific Palisades, has spent nearly 40 years at the restaurant.
Now it's hurting and the future is uncertain. According to the Los Angeles Times.
“What are you going to do, Papi?'' his daughter asked as he struggled with looming rent and medical bills.
The destruction struck many beloved establishments, including Malibu's Moonshadows, which was reduced to ashes.
In response, local restaurant owners and non-profit organizations have launched fundraising efforts to help the displaced.
gladstones We have established a GoFundMeraised more than $21,000 of the $250,000 goal.
Café de Leche, a coffee shop in Altadena, catches fire and six employees lose their jobs.
The community has rallied together and made thousands of small donations to keep it afloat.
like any other business side pie, Fox's Restaurant and Amara Kitchen We have created a similar initiative.
“These are the people who bring the restaurant to life. They are the heart of the restaurant,” said Alicia Hirshfield, president of the California Restaurant Foundation. Grants are being provided to affected workers.
