Other Establishments Step Up, Feeding First Responders and Evacuees
Americans have watched news reports in horror, seeing wildfires ravage thousands of residential and commercial buildings in and near Los Angeles this week. Out-of-control blazes have killed at least 11 people and reduced many of the city’s restaurants to ash. Hundreds of thousands of Californians fled their homes as flames swept over dozens of square miles. Six fires were still burning Friday evening.
Amid the devastation, many restaurants, including franchises, stepped up to provide free food to first responders and evacuees. These acts of kindness offered much-needed relief to those impacted and demonstrated the strong community spirit within the foodservice industry.
The report below covers the latest news about damage to Los Angeles restaurants and how still-operational ones are helping first responders and evacuees. The information is based on reports by Nation’s Restaurant News, Los Angeles Times, Eater Los Angeles and The Hollywood Reporter.
Malibu
Reel Inn, a 36-year-old seafood shack known for beachy kitsch décor, burned down. Owners Andy and Teddy Leonard set up a GoFundMe account to provide three months of wages and benefits for staff members. The Leonards have promised to rebuild and reopen. The nearby Cholada Thai Cuisine also was destroyed, and the owner is raising funds to rebuild. It was revered as a destination for celebrities as well as neighborhood regulars.
The waterfront restaurants Moonshadows and Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio in Malibu also were destroyed. Nobu Malibu closed but didn’t burn; a Gladstones worker told the Los Angeles Times it sustained “a very small burn that impacted an outside storage area. Thankfully, the restaurant is in good shape.”
Pacific Palisades
Vittorio’s, a destination for Italian food since 1984, as well as Cafe Vida and Casa Nostra were incinerated in L.A.’s affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood. The Café Luxxe in the heart of Palisades Village is gone. Other Cafe Luxxe restaurants are closed because of the fires but plan to reopen.
Altadena
Fox’s, which opened in in the mid-1950s and Café de Leche, are gone. GoFundMe accounts have been set up for employees of both Altadena restaurants. Rancho Bar, next to Café de Leche, described as a neighborhood dive bar by Eater Los Angeles, fell victim, too.
The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop, specializing in homey and soul foods, was destroyed. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the casual restaurant rebuild.
Two Altadena pizzerias went down in flames. “We are lucky to be alive and praying for those not so fortunate or [those] who may have lost their homes,” said Pizza of Venice co-owner Jamie Woolner. Side Pie, which an L.A. Times critic considers one of L.A.’s best pizzerias, stated on Instagram that only the restaurant’s shell remains. Owner Kevin Hockin hopes to rebuild and has set up a GoFundMe to raise money to help.
The Mariposa Junction restaurant in Altadena confirmed on Instagram that one of its buildings was damaged by fires but another escaped. In the same complex, Amara Kitchen — known for its extensive menu that included all-day breakfasts — was lost to the Eaton fire; Amara owner Paola Guasp has started a GoFundMe to support employees.
Open only eight months, Minik Market in Altadena was destroyed. The Eaton blaze also engulfed a McDonald’s in Pasadena.
Restaurants Pay It Forward
Several restaurants are assisting displaced area residents and first responders. Fiorelli Wood Fired Pizza gave free meals to evacuees and first responders; it also set up a Zelle account for food and supplies. Pizzana will donate 100% of this weekend’s profits from all of its L.A. restaurants to the California Fire Foundation.
Yeastie Boys, a traveling bagel purveyor, sent out trucks to feed front-line crews battling the fires. Dog Haus, a franchise, has given free meals to evacuees and first responders. Din Tai Fung, a small Taiwanese chain, offered complimentary takeout meals to firefighters and first responders.
Burgers, anyone? Habit Burger & Grill franchises gave complimentary meals to firefighters. Irv’s Burgers sent burgers and fries to the Los Angeles Fire Department on Thursday.
Also on Thursday, Fat and Flour Bakery’s Culver City site offered free food (bread, pie, cookies) and coffee to local residents suffering power outages. In addition, the bakery allowed people to charge their devices on-site.
Silver Lake, Santa Monica and More
Two Silver Lake restaurants pitched in. Cafe Tropical, a Cuban eatery, extended its hours to help folks who need a place to hang out, and it partnered with the nonprofit Feed The Streets to make 600 breakfast burritos for firefighters. The Ruby Fruit assisted with water and Wi-Fi; the restaurant was collecting and dispersing crucial donation items such as non-perishable food, KN95 masks, blankets and diapers.
In Santa Monica, Milo & Olive and Huckleberry Café were feeding first responders and asked displaced residents to contact them for support. These two restaurants teamed up with L.A. nonprofit It’s Bigger Than Us to deliver meals and resources to those affected by the fires. Kreation Juice’s Santa Monica store contributed a free meal to firefighters, first responders and anyone who lost their house in the wildfires.
Also giving food to first responders were Spago of Beverly Hills, Wolfgang Puck’s flagship, and Jitlada, a Michelin Guide-honored Thai restaurant in East Hollywood.
