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After A Catastrophic Start, The $30,000 Restaurant Aid Program Relaunches On Monday
File: King Taco taped off its outdoor dining area to discourage costumers from lingering as they shifted to take out only. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
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Much like the Arecibo Observatory, the original Keep L.A. Dining website suffered a catastrophic failure this week. While the research facility in Puerto Rico had been operating for nearly 60 years before a 900-ton equipment platform collapsed, the restaurant relief website crashed barely an hour after launching.
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The program, overseen by the Los Angeles County Development Authority, gives $30,000 to brick-and-mortar restaurants that meet certain criteria — but the funds are limited. The number of applications is capped at 2,500.
When the website began accepting applications, at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3, restaurant owners — approximately 6,000 of them — tried to log in but, "The portal was overwhelmed due to the surge of thousands of applicants," says a LACDA spokesperson.
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Only two users were able to submit full applications, according to LACDA.
Matt Glassman, who owns several restaurants, including The Greyhound Bar & Grill in Glendale, described the process as "absolutely soul-crushing."
As of Friday at 5 p.m., the COVID-19 relief site was still down. But it will relaunch!
The Keep LA Dining website will relaunch after crashing.
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Screengrab from LACDA website
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On Saturday morning, LACDA announced it will launch a new application platform on Monday, December 7 at 8 a.m. The new portal will accept applications until Tuesday, December 8 at 5 p.m. or until 2,500 applications are received, whichever comes first.
Per a LACDA press release...
- User accounts created in the previous system are no longer valid.
- Users who submitted a completed application do not need to re-register.
- Applicants who registered but couldn't complete the process should've received an email from LACDA explaining how to proceed.
- All other applicants must re-register through the program's new application portal.
Given how much restaurants are struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, it's a safe bet the new site will also be flooded with applicants. But hopefully it will be able to handle them all.
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