Koreatown's Park's BBQ has been a mainstay for Angelenos looking to taste high-end Korean grilled meats and fresh-tasting banchan for over 20 years.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, decimating business, chef Jenee Kim swung into action. Taking advantage of the city’s emergency al fresco dining program, which allowed owners to cut through the usual permitting red tape, she spent $80,000 to build an outdoor patio in the parking lot.
It brought customers back, getting her through hard times. Today, with plenty of lighting and ample seating, it's become part of the restaurant's overall vibe.
But recently, Kim had been planning to tear it down.
After meeting with the city's building and safety department, she discovered that she needed a permanent permit for the patio.
"They said we need to get all these permits, which costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time, and it's not really worth it," she said. "They want us to start with the floor plan and everything. That's too much."
Ryan Kim, Park BBQ's Operations Director, said the city had told him they were going to try to make it easy to get a permit, "but there's nothing easy because we have to follow every single rule. So we just gave up... we just decided to take it down."
Why are we even talking about 'sunsetting'?
What they hadn't realized was that last year, the city had announced that the emergency al fresco ordinance from 2020 was sunsetting. While that temporary ordinance had simply required a restaurant owner to go online and fill in a quick form, the new, permanent ordinance reinstated much of the red tape that had been slashed during the pandemic.
The sunset deadline was July 31. So, restaurants would have to go through the complex approval process, and do it quickly.
Business owners had been scrambling to get the paperwork in order. But on Tuesday, the day before Wednesday's deadline, Mayor Karen Bass unexpectedly announced an extension. Businesses would now have an extra six months, until December 31, to get their affairs in order.
“We want restaurants and businesses to thrive in Los Angeles. With that commitment, I am announcing an extension to the deadline for businesses to transition to the permanent Al Fresco program, which carries forward the spirit of this vital program,” Mayor Bass said in her statement.
“I want to encourage businesses holding temporary permits to apply today. The City is ready to assist you.”
The hurdles that still remain
For many in the restaurant world, it was a huge relief. Eddie Navarrette, AKA "Fast Eddie," who oversees the Independent Hospitality Coalition, a restaurant advocacy group, said it gives restaurants "a chance to breathe… it's one less death by a thousand cuts."
Park BBQ's Ryan Kim said the news means they will keep their patio open for the foreseeable future. When asked if he felt optimistic about the situation, he said, “For now, yes.”
Navarrette says, however, that the permitting process remains complex. He told LAist 89.3's AirTalk "It's essentially a building permit for private property.... four engineers were assigned to your project. It had to have a green engineer for environmental standards, one for disabled access, one for zoning, and one for your building. That's four people to look at your project."
He said businesses also have to get approvals from multiple city departments. Instead of going to one centralized office, businesses must contact the city’s Building and Safety Department, the Transportation Department, and the Health Department. With so much to do, often, a business has to hire a professional to do it.
But he hopes that the process can be streamlined. Navarrette is working on some recommendations, like a self-certification process for restaurants, allowing them to have tables and chairs in their parking lots. He also wants to improve accessibility. According to him, the materials for the application process, including a training webinar, were mainly in English, effectively leaving non-native English-speaking restaurant owners to fend for themselves.
"It's progress, but we have a long way to go," said Navarette. "I'm proud of the Mayor and her staff doing the right thing, but the only way we're going to get there is to do the work. This is a step in the right direction, but it's not a sprint; it's a marathon, and we gotta stay in the race."
