I’ve spent more than 20 years visiting and reviewing restaurants, talking with owners, sampling everything from five-star cuisine to two-dollar tacos, and occasionally stirring the political pot with my pointed commentary. That’s how I formed my Eat Local! campaign.
This time, I didn’t even have to order dinner.
It started when a Facebook follower sent me a photograph of a Chinese food pop-up operating along Colorado Boulevard. I posted the picture, thinking it might spark a little conversation about another dining option in our community; 60,000 views later, boy, did it.
Within an hour, three local restaurant owners contacted me. And they weren’t calling to ask whether the orange chicken was any good.
They were upset. Their concern wasn’t necessarily about Chinese food or even competition. It was about fairness.
And frankly, I understand.
Think about what it takes to open a restaurant in Southern California. There’s rent, insurance, payroll, workers’ compensation, utilities, business licenses, health inspections and enough paperwork to wallpaper the Rose Bowl.
And that’s before you’ve sold your first hamburger.
Now imagine someone setting up an outdoor food operation down the street, potentially competing for the same customers without carrying all those expenses, and you can understand why restaurant owners might be reaching for the antacids.
A broken refrigerator, an unexpected repair or a slow Tuesday night can wipe out days of profit.
Consider Panda Inn, a longtime fixture of our local dining scene. The Cherng family opened the original Panda Inn in Pasadena in 1973. More than 50 years later, they’ve invested in a major renovation of their flagship restaurant. That’s what I call a commitment to the community.
But here’s something the average diner might not realize: restaurant owners aren’t necessarily making dollars. Many are struggling to make pennies.
As a customer, you might spend $100 on dinner and assume the owner just made a nice profit. Not so fast.
First comes the cost of the food, then the cost of the employees, rent, insurance, utilities, taxes, credit card fees, repairs, permits and an ever-growing list of expenses.
By the time everyone gets their share, the owner might be fortunate to keep three, four or five dollars of that original hundred.
And that’s assuming nothing goes wrong. A broken refrigerator, an unexpected repair or a slow Tuesday night can wipe out days of profit.
I’ve known restaurant owners who work 60 or 70 hours a week, miss family gatherings and put their personal savings on the line just to keep the doors open. So when they see another food operation with considerably less overhead, I understand their frustration.
And here’s where I start scratching my head.
California has changed the rules for sidewalk food vendors. Senate Bill 946 protects their right to operate, and Senate Bill 972 established additional rules for smaller food operations.
Some vendors need health permits. Certain limited operations are exempt. It depends on what they’re selling and how they’re preparing it.
I understand the idea. Give the little guy an opportunity to make a living. I’m all for that.
But somewhere along the way, haven’t we made this a little complicated?
If I’m running a restaurant, I’m paying for everything from the fire inspection to the grease trap. If I’m selling food on the sidewalk, I’m operating under a different set of rules.
Both may be perfectly legal. But does that automatically make the situation feel fair?
Safe food still requires proper handling, no matter where it’s served.
That’s the part I’m having trouble wrapping my head around.
And before anyone gets the wrong idea, I don’t know whether this particular Chinese pop-up has the proper permits. I haven’t inspected its kitchen, checked its paperwork or tasted its food.
Some of my Facebook followers say the food is pretty good. Others aren’t particularly impressed.
Welcome to the restaurant business.
I’ve eaten at expensive restaurants that disappointed me and little neighborhood places that knocked my socks off. Good food doesn’t require a white tablecloth. But safe food still requires proper handling, no matter where it’s served.
And perhaps that’s where we should begin. Are the rules clear? Are the health requirements being followed? And does the public understand the difference between a licensed sidewalk vendor and someone operating without authorization?
Those seem like reasonable questions.
What bothers me most is the financial pressure on our established restaurants. These aren’t just places where we eat. They’re employers, taxpayers, gathering places and often the backbone of a neighborhood.
They’re the businesses sponsoring Little League teams, donating gift certificates to school fundraisers and contributing to community events. When one closes, we lose more than a menu.
I’m certainly not suggesting we chase sidewalk vendors out of town. Every successful restaurateur started somewhere, and entrepreneurship deserves encouragement.
But I also believe the people who invest their savings, hire employees and commit themselves to our neighborhoods deserve recognition and consideration.
Maybe there’s room for both. I certainly hope so.
I just wish I could figure out how we arrived at a point where operating a restaurant can be so expensive, so complicated, and so financially risky that keeping the doors open becomes an accomplishment.
The next time you spend $100 at your favorite neighborhood restaurant, remember that the owner might be taking home less than you left the server as a tip.
And that brings me back to that photograph on Facebook.
One sidewalk food stand. Three unhappy restaurant owners. Plenty of opinions. And one restaurant critic still scratching his head.
There’s room at the table for everyone. I just hope we don’t make it so difficult for our neighborhood restaurants that eventually there’s nobody left to set the table.
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