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

Food

You Might Be Able To Drink In LA's Streets This Summer

A parklet on Spring Street in downtown L.A. (LADOT/Flickr Creative Commons)
()

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.

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.

Angelenos will almost certainly be able to eat in the streets later this summer. Will we also be able to drink in them? Probably, but in a limited capacity.

Several cities -- including Long Beach, Pasadena and Sierra Madre -- are working to transform streets, sidewalks and parking lots into outdoor dining and recreation areas. These "open streets" proposals, which are temporary, would go into effect when L.A. County officials lift the ban on dine-in eating at restaurants.

Whenever that happens, officials will likely impose limits on how many patrons can be inside a restaurant and how far apart tables must be placed. Adding tables outdoors should help restaurants make up some of that lost revenue.

Support for LAist comes from

But what if a customer wants a beer with their al fresco burger? Or a mimosa with that Sunday morning waffle? It gets trickier.

Fortunately, California's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which regulates the production, sale and distribution of booze in the state, has offered a bit of regulatory relief.


icon

DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS
Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines.

Terms of Use and Privacy Policy


Earlier this week, the agency issued a notice that allows dining establishments already licensed to sell alcohol to do it in areas adjacent to their business -- in the parklets, sidewalks and parking spots envisioned by "open streets" proponents.

Support for LAist comes from

The loosened restrictions, which would also be temporary, could require businesses to jump through several hoops.

They'll need to file an application, which costs $100. They'll need to submit a diagram of the area where they plan to serve booze. They'll need to explain what kind of barriers they'll use to demarcate this area. And they'll need to forward their application to local law enforcement.

Most crucially, these loosened restrictions only apply in counties where stay-at-home orders have been lifted. In Los Angeles County, we're a ways off from that.

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