While restaurants slowly recovered from the pandemic last year, many other issues forced some of the city's favorite spots to close. Los Angeles Times reporter Stephanie Breijo says inflation had customers reevaluating spending habits, while the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes also had restaurants feeling the pinch.
Chef Daniel Navarro's grandmother, Gladys, opened El Cochinito in Silver Lake 30 years ago. The restaurant closed in 2023. Photo by Alex Lark.
Walter and Margarita Manzke, the couple behind République, Manzke, and Bicyclette closed two restaurants last year — the decade-old Petty Cash on Beverly Boulevard and Sari Sari Store in the Grand Central Market. Nancy Silverton cut the flame of her steakhouse, The Barish, in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Wes Avila shuttered the Angry Egret in Chinatown. After strong opening reviews, Kinn chef Kiyong Kim walked away from his restaurant, citing mental health issues. Modern Cantonese spot, Needle, struggled after opening in late 2019.
A Montanara Pizza (a deep-fried pizza that's similar to a calzone) at Best Bet, which abruptly closed before Christmas after only five months. Photo by Elina Shatkin/KCRW
Michelin-starred chef Walter Manzke explained to Breijo that mundane, daily expenses such as equipment repairs, can set a restaurant back. Also, the increasing minimum wage continues to take a toll on restaurants' bottom lines.
She runs down a list of more than 65 closures across the county.