Councilmembers Propose Changes to Al Fresco Ordinance to Support Local Businesses

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 7, 2023) – Councilwoman Traci Park has taken action to address concerns from restaurant owners and residents regarding potential hardships that may arise from the City Planning’s current draft of the Al Fresco Ordinance. In response to the concerns raised, Park, along with president Paul Krekorian, councilmember John Lee and councilmember Tim McOsker, submitted a letter to Los Angeles City Planning on Tuesday.

 

“As a council member, it’s crucial to listen to our small business community,” said Councilwoman Traci Park. “When the pandemic hit and upended our lives, restaurant owners acted swiftly to find solutions to remain operational and continue feeding the community while providing much-needed jobs. The successful implementation of Al Fresco outdoor dining areas allowed people to once again gather and dine together. We must continue to support these businesses by providing an ordinance that works for everyone.”

 

“The L.A. Al Fresco program was a lifesaver for our local businesses,” said Council President Paul Krekorian. “Expanded outdoor dining has transformed many of our neighborhoods by creating more enjoyable community spaces. Many of our restaurateurs made major investments in outdoor seating to stay in business during the pandemic and we should not impose unnecessary costs on them as they struggle to recoup those investments. With appropriate consideration for the needs of the surrounding neighborhoods, we should make it as easy as possible for these local businesses to continue serving the public, indoors and outdoors.”

 

“The Al Fresco Dining program was a lifeline for restaurants to keep their doors open during the pandemic,” said Councilmember John Lee. “It has proven itself to be an incredible asset for restaurateurs and as we work toward establishing a Permanent Al Fresco Dining ordinance, it is imperative that we preserve the program’s simplicity and accessibility for businesses throughout the City of Los Angeles.”

 

“During the worst of the pandemic, the Al Fresco program and outdoor dining kept our local restaurants afloat,” said Councilmember Tim McOsker. “ Without it, many small businesses would have closed. The proposed ordinance would bring back bureaucratic obstacles that could cost local entrepreneurs their livelihood. Going forward, I will call for the city to grandfather any permitted outdoor dining in place today.”

 

“The Al Fresco program has been absolutely critical in two perspectives, ” said Lisa Schwab, the owner of Cantalini’s Salerno Beach. “The first is we have many many customers that are still uncomfortable with sitting inside the restaurant because they want outdoor seating. And, that outdoor seating provides the revenue necessary to keep our doors open and to keep our staff working. It’s critical for us to keep these patios and make it affordable.”

 

Some policy recommendations councilmembers submitted in their letter Tuesday include supporting a streamlined process for existing participants, acknowledging the significant investments made by existing participants in creating outdoor dining spaces, ensuring processes are not excessively expensive or challenging, particularly for small businesses, and eliminating or decreasing additional Conditional Use Beverage (CUB) requirements for current Al Fresco restaurants serving alcohol.

 

A revised draft of the Al Fresco ordinance is expected to go before the City Planning Commission for consideration in the coming weeks.