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Alma, One Of L.A.'s Hottest Restaurants, Is Closing
Alma
, downtown Los Angeles' revered and award-winning restaurant, will be closing on October 24. Alma was voted
Best New Restaurant by Bon Appetit in 2013
and has certainly been celebrated by
several food critics
, but it's curtains for the farm-to-table restaurant soon. Co-owners Ashleigh Parsons and Ari Taymor
told food blog GrubStreet
that in the end, it comes down to funding.
The pair recently attempted to raise $40,000 via Indiegogo and succeeded, raising $8,240 beyond their goal. However, the pair say that legal fees—accrued from being sued by a former adviser —ate up most of that.
The duo did say they're working on a number of projects that, while not Alma, will share a lot of the same community-minded goals, such as sustainability using ingredients sourced from local farmers.
"Through the Indiegogo campaign we were able to raise a substantial amount of money that we used for legal fees, which we used to try to get back on our feet. But a lot of our ability to maintain the restaurant was contingent upon us being able to wrap up the lawsuit in an expedient manner. To have that kind of cost, on top of running a small business, wasn't working out," Taymor told GrubStreet.
Sponsored message
Taylor said they do intend to honor the Indiegogo perks they promised to their contributors.
Perhaps there's hope for Alma in other ventures. Starry Kitchen failed to meet their epic fundraising goal of $500,000, but the husband-and-wife team is now supplying food for Echo Park's new arcade bar, Button Mash .
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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