As Malibu residents continue to rebuild after last November’s Woolsey Fire, some restaurants are closing their doors.
“The restaurant business is one of the toughest, but operating in Malibu or surrounding areas adds another layer of difficulty,” said Eater LA’s Mona Holmes. “Fires are only one part. After the fires, there is little foliage to hold the hillsides together, which causes floods and mudslides, along with road closures, and power outages. It’s just a truly difficult place to operate a business.”
Seven months later, many eateries haven’t bounced back, due to a mixture of lost income, rising rents and fewer customers.
“A lot of these businesses rely on locals, but they also rely on tourists to make ends meet,” Holmes said.
These restaurants burned down in the fire:
These eateries are barely hanging on or planning to close:
These restaurants are still going strong: