Outdoor dining was about to expire in L.A. this month. Why it just got a last-minute reprieve

A pandemic-era outdoor dining program credited with helping Los Angeles restaurants survive at a time when so many have shuttered or are struggling was set to expire at the end of the year, possibly leaving hundreds of restaurateurs in limbo.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a one-year extension of the Al Fresco Temporary Authorization initiative. The program allows eating and drinking establishments within Los Angeles city limits to continue operating in outdoor spaces set up during the pandemic.

“This extension is a remarkable win for all — including those in both the public and private sectors — who have been navigating layers of red tape,” said Eddie Navarrette, executive director of the Independent Hospitality Coalition, a group that advocates for and supports independent restaurants.

Navarette described the mayor’s year-long reprieve as “generous” and hopes it will give city departments a chance to implement improvements to the application process, which he and other restaurant operators have said can be confusing and onerous.

This is the second time the program — initially set to expire in July — has been thrown a lifeline. After an outcry from city restaurateurs, Bass extended the program a day before it was due to sunset. The extension gave restaurant owners more time to apply for the permanent Al Fresco Program, which the City Council approved about a year ago with the application process opened in February.

But that first extension simply wasn’t enough for most restaurants, said Navarette, who has helped several restaurants apply for various permits throughout the years. He argued that the program needs to be less complicated so that restaurant owners don’t have to spend money to hire a specialist — like him — to navigate the lengthy application process.

Restaurateurs were also upset that the city wasn’t operating under the same deadline set at the state level when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 1217, which extended outdoor dining and other pandemic-era provisions until July 2026.

Christian Frizzell, owner of the Redwood Bar & Grill, a downtown Los Angeles fixture since the 1930s revived as a pirate-themed pub, was among the first to apply for the outdoor dining program. During the pandemic he spent upward of $30,000 to build outdoor seating, which now accounts for 10% to 20% of his sales.

Those are sales Frizzell said he can’t afford to lose. He said he understands that the city’s central concern is keeping the public safe, but the process, he explained, has been so “frustrating” he had to hire Navarrette as a consultant.

“It’s so tight right now with everything, with prices, and inflation,” he said about his struggle to keep the Redwood open. “And labor has gone up so much. So many have moved from downtown.”

It’s a tough time for restaurant owners throughout the industry, although new places with high ambitions continue to open. Higher labor costs, increased food prices and pandemic fallout have forced many L.A.-area restaurants — at least 65 just last year — to shut their doors. Restaurant operators continue to leave the business, and restaurants continue to close.

In a statement, Bass said over a million dollars in funding assistance is being made available to support restaurants and provide relief for permitting fees as they transition from the temporary to the permanent city program.

“Thousands of businesses have been assisted this year building on our momentum to change City Hall into an advocate for businesses — not a barrier,” Bass said.“That’s why we’re extending the Al Fresco Outdoor Dining Program deadline — because we must support businesses and help them thrive.”