Almost Back in Business
On May 5, Los Angeles County announced that its COVID-19 cases and deaths were low enough that the county could move into the yellow tier — the least restrictive tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. For restaurants, businesses, and tourist sites in Los Angeles County, including the historic Santa Monica Pier, this serves as an indicator that the L.A. area is slowly inching toward fully reopening.
Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif. on May 17, 2021. For the first time since mask mandates began, people in Los Angeles County are allowed in public areas without masks. (Maxim Elramsisy | The Corsair)
Tiato Kitchen & Market is a restaurant, caterer, and venue in Santa Monica, California, off Colorado Boulevard that is benefiting greatly from California’s move into the yellow tier. They’ve decided to host indoor events with up to 50 people as long as attendees prove they are fully vaccinated. “COVID restrictions for events are getting a little bit looser...so now we're getting a little bit bigger, a little better,” said April Guerra, office manager for Tiato Kitchen & Market. Guerra started working at Tiato two years ago, and noted how COVID-19 negatively affected the restaurant’s business in 2020.
“We've been around for 10 years and last March was our highest sales day after day. It was completely packed [with] 200 people in here for a three hour lunch.” Guerra continued, “And then the next day, it was a ghost town. The next week, we had maybe $100 in sales.” Guerra said the restaurant looks forward to the city reopening, and continuing business with record numbers resembling their peak in March of 2020, before they were forced to shut down.
“People want to eat out; people want to have that feeling of normality again, and it's up to restaurants and bars and communal places to make that happen for everybody,” she said. While California will determine an update on their mask mandate come June 15, L.A. County will continue to enforce its own policies to ensure the safety of individuals in their county
