‘Reopen Outdoor Dining,’ Say Restaurateurs And Small Business Owners

[UPDATED] More than two-dozen demonstrators in cars paraded from the Rose Bowl through various business districts in Pasadena Saturday with restaurateurs and small business owners joining forces to support lifting restrictions on outdoor dining. 

“It’s the result of people being quarantined for nine months, and craving interaction with other people,” Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Paul Little said of the event, citing stay-at-home orders issued following increases in the number of COVID cases and virus-related deaths following both the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays.

Pasadena, which has its own health department, used its independent authority to keep its restaurants open last month after LA County issued an order forcing restaurants to cease outdoor dining.

The move by Pasadena city officials led to praise from leaders in other cities, and some local businesses reported generating record-setting revenue.

Many Pasadena residents on social media opposed the idea of outdoor dining reopening due to the surge in cases.

At the time, the city was focusing on enforcement of existing coronavirus protocols to guarantee local businesses, not just restaurants, were complying with COVID-19 guidelines.

But local officials had no choice but to end outdoor dining as well after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued his latest order to stay at home.

As Gregg Smith of the Smith Group, owners of Parkway Grill, The Arroyo Chophouse and Smitty’s, told the group gathered at City Hall, “All we want is to be able to provide outdoor dining once again.”

Since Newsom shut things down, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that county officials initially acted arbitrarily by shutting the restaurants down, but said they could not reopen anyway with the state’s order in place at the time of the ruling. But a judge in San Diego County has ruled against the governor’s order, allowing restaurants there to resume outdoor dining. 

“I support our small businesses and sensible rules that treat all businesses equally,” said District 2 Councilmember Felicia Williams. “During this difficult time, while cases are surging, we must also remember those who are not working for the holidays, the businesses, and their families. With all of the recent lawsuits, I would rather have Pasadena create policy based on data that balances health, safety, and the economy than be forced to reopen by the courts.”

According to the National Restaurant Association, 10,000 restaurants could close in the next three weeks, in addition to the 110,000 that have already shuttered in 2020.

According to a poll released by that group that surveyed 6,000 restaurant owners, 87 percent of full-service restaurants reported an average 36 percent drop in revenue, with 83 percent expecting sales to be “even worse” over the next three months as the virus continues to lash the United States.

“In short, the restaurant industry simply cannot wait for relief any longer,” Sean Kennedy, executive vice president for the National Restaurant Association, said in a prepared statement. 

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported Saturday that there are now more than 600,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County. More than 100,000 new cases have been reported since Dec. 11, less than two weeks after L.A. County reached 500,000 COVID-19 cases since early 2020. L.A. County is currently experiencing the fastest acceleration of new cases than at any other time during the pandemic.

“The reality, and everyone acknowledges this, is that COVID numbers are spiking, (and) it’s a tragedy that so many people are sick and so many people are dying,” said Little. “But,” he said, “This has absolutely nothing to do with outdoor dining, retail, (or) any kind or retail activity. 

“If we had a way for people to get together in a way that was safe, and would not promote infections, like socially distanced outdoor dining, we wouldn’t necessarily be in this situation right now,” Little said.

Gale Kohl, owner of Gale’s Restaurant, also acknowledged the rise in new cases, and countered, “I think we really need to be careful about shutting everything down, and throwing all these people out of jobs. People are gathering in their homes this holiday season rather than going outside, which is really the problem.”