Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement today, Dec. 3 that Southern California restaurants will again have to shut down on-premises dining when the ICU capacity in the region falls below 15% — which could happen within a few days — felt like another gut punch to local owners who have been dealing with the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic since March.
“I don’t think any restaurant was having a normal holiday season this year,” said Shachi Mehra, chef-owner of Adya in the Anaheim Packing House and Irvine. Her sales since the pandemic are about half of what they normally are in her popular restaurants.
“We’re still not in a place where people are feeling completely comfortable sitting in a room with other people that they don’t know,” Mehra said. “So I don’t think we’re going to have a regular holiday season. Is takeout ideal? Absolutely not, but it’s an opportunity for us to sit down and say, ‘What can I do to inch forward?’ That’s really the main thing for me, for our business. I think we have to continue to move forward in whatever way we can.”
For her that means making an even bigger effort to get her curries to market at artisan baker Dean Kim’s pop-up — a collection of chefs and vendors banding together to help each other sell goods at OC Baking Company in Orange.
Many restaurant owners had already been beefing up takeout menus and rearranging seating again to get more tables outside, and buying heaters that are now required, as the weather has turned cooler.
“It’s absolutely devastating to the restaurant industry,” said Chef Kelly Mullarney, a founder of Bruxie, which has locations in Orange and Brea. “To shut down outdoor dining at this point is perplexing because a lot of us, myself included, have spent a pretty good amount of money to try and upgrade outdoor dining to make it comfortable and convenient.”
When a 10 p.m. state curfew for counties with “widespread” COVID risk was imposed on Nov. 19, Wil Dee — founder and CEO of Haven Gastropub and Provisions Deli Shop and co-founder of Chapman Crafted Beer in Orange — said that each time the governor hands down a mandate, business slows to a trickle.
Mullarney agreed. “Yesterday, we had one of our busiest, mid-week days, and today I walked into the restaurant around noon and it was strangely quiet,” said Mullarney. “It felt like we were closed.”
This time Newsom divided the state into five regions and Orange County falls into the Southern California zone, which includes L.A., Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties.
Some restaurant industry workers find the groupings hard to understand when neighboring Los Angeles and Orange counties, whose situations can be so different, are considered together.
Florent Marneau, who owns and operates Marché Moderne with his wife Amelia, recently hosted his former boss, Joachim Splichal of Patina Restaurant Group. He was struck by how different the scene is in Newport Beach.
“Splichal came for dinner and he could not believe he drove 30 miles south and it was a different world,” Marneau said. “Everyone was out eating and L.A. was completely shut down. Our plan is to keep going with Christmas luxury boxes if in fact we’re going to get closed down. We’re keeping our reservations for another 24 to 48 hours right now and we’ll just wait and see what’s going to happen.”
Down the road on Pacific Coast Highway, Las Brisas in Laguna Beach had just released an announcement about its offerings for Christmas Day lunches, brunches and dinners. A spokesperson said the restaurant would be ready to offer a takeout option that it had also planned for the holiday.
But even if takeout business is brisk, it doesn’t make up for a full dining room. Restaurants have been riding a roller coaster financially. Although Newsom says as a former restaurateur he “deeply empathizes” with the industry’s stress and struggles, some say the relief the state offers just isn’t enough.
Blinking Owl Distillery in Santa Ana, which has a partnership with neighboring Benchmark restaurant, branched out to making hand sanitizer to survive. Robin Christenson, CFO and co-owner of Blinking Owl doesn’t think tax deferments are enough. “Pushing off taxes just creates a snowball of financial burden down the line,” Christenson said. “The pitiful amounts in aid offered are laughable — a severe testament to the disconnect of our state and the financial burden it is placing upon our small businesses.”
Marneau explained that the SBA loan terms mean borrowing $150,000 will cost $93,000 over 30 years. Most restaurants can’t take on more debt, says French-born Marneau who sees it from a global perspective.
“This is such a joke compared to the real help that the French government is providing to its small businesses,” he said. “They are providing 10,000 Euro a month for small businesses for six months and a one-time 100,000 Euro for small businesses with 50 to 100 employees. That is real support right there.”
He says his best support comes from his regular customers. Many ordered gourmet food boxes for Thanksgiving and he hopes they return for Christmas and after New Year’s when restaurants are traditionally slow.
He welcomes everyone and urges diners to help his and other restaurants if there is a shutdown by enjoying some takeaway food, wine and cocktails. “Please pick up some food to go,” he said. “Our guests are the best and have really stepped up to support us day in and day out — thank you, thank you, thank you,.”
