Summer has landed in Los Angeles, with locals and tourists crowding whichever shores have been deemed the least polluted by officials, public plazas and parks packing weekends full of free outdoor concerts and restaurant patios buzzing with conversation amid twinkling string lights and climbing vines.
But as the city sparkles with sunshine, the local restaurant industry continues to weather uncertain waves. In Hollywood, a long-standing Arby’s location with an iconic 10-gallon hat marquee sign closed permanently, with the owner citing post-pandemic loss of business, rising food costs and a recent minimum wage increase for fast-food workers as the reasons behind the closure. With the local landmark now shuttered, find the closest Arby’s in Inglewood, Long Beach and the San Fernando Valley. For a location with a similar-shaped neon sign, head to Huntington Beach.
The same problems that plagued the Hollywood Arby’s have led to rising prices on fast-food menus, and some chains are responding to customer complaints with new value-minded deals, such as $5 combo meals at McDonald’s and Taco Bell, and a $3 breakfast offer at Wendy’s, plus discounts for customers who order via the companies’ mobile apps.
The service-fee ban that was set to go into effect on July 1 might be reversed at the last minute, leaving restaurateurs confused after many had already taken measures to comply with the legislation. If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the bill, restaurants will be allowed to add service fees and surcharges to customers’ final bills as long as those costs are listed clearly in advance.
With ongoing uncertainty in the industry, try to exercise patience as restaurant owners decide how to proceed amid pending legislation. Some of this month’s recommended dining includes the expansion of a plant-based ice cream parlor to Larchmont, a Valley-based sushi delivery service from a lauded chef and a handful of pizza options that celebrate L.A.-signature flavors.