Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

News

LA Restaurant Owners Prepare For 10PM Curfew 

People gather to view a broadcast of Game 1 of the 2020 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays at an outdoor bar and restaurant, amid the pandemic, on Oct. 20 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
()

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

Restaurants across L.A. County will have to close at 10 p.m. starting Friday night based on new public health orders.

The county’s increased restrictions come one day before a state curfew takes hold in other parts of Southern California.

State and local officials say they’re urging people to stay home and ordering restaurants, bars and other businesses to stop in-person service after 10 p.m. because COVID-19 cases are surging, and reducing late-night social gatherings could help lower infection rates.

Support for LAist comes from

But struggling local restaurant owners who have adapted to outdoor service say the curfews could lead to lower sales and pay cuts for staff.

Christy Vega, who owns the Sherman Oaks Mexican restaurant Casa Vega, said she has spent tens of thousands of dollars on tents, heating lamps and other equipment for outdoor dining.

That has helped Casa Vega stay open until midnight, she said, but now they will have to close early and workers will have to go home with less income.

“You're hitting the dishwashers and the bus boys,” Vega said. “All those people are going to lose two hours every day off their shift.”

Bret Thompson, the chef and owner of Pez Cantina in Downtown L.A., said customers who stay past 10 p.m. for patio dining tend to be more profitable because they’re often ordering more alcohol.

He said he understands the need to curb COVID rates, but it’s hard to lose those sales at the end of the night.

“I've lost two friends this year to COVID. It's definitely very, very serious,” Thompson said. “For me, it's still an internal battle. How do we balance staying open, doing business, and keeping everyone safe?”

Support for LAist comes from

Restaurants can still open for outdoor service during the day and early evenings, but only at 50% of their outdoor maximum capacity.

READ MORE:

Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist