- July 23, 2021
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Business
For almost everyone in and around the restaurant industry, it has been an excruciating 16-month rollercoaster of shutdowns, reopenings, health concerns and attempts to navigate confusing policy and bewildering inaction on local and federal levels. As the dust settles, as many as 30% of California’s restaurants may be gone for good.
During the pandemic, we spoke to dozens of people: restaurant owners, servers, chefs, street vendors and suppliers. Almost all painted a picture of hardship but also resolute determination to fight another day — and serve another meal.
I followed up with a handful of the people we’ve featured to see how they’re doing: to ask how their businesses weathered the pandemic, how they’re faring mentally and what their attitudes are moving forward.
::
In December, Kwini Reed, co-owner of Poppy + Rose in downtown L.A., was girding for a long winter. A loan from the Paycheck Protection Program, which rolled out nine months…
