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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Diners Like NoHo’s al Fresco Zone

The city of Los Angeles late last month shut down several lanes of a busy stretch of Magnolia Boulevard in the heart of North Hollywood’s Arts District to make room for the neighborhood’s first al fresco dining area. The zone is protected by temporary barriers that block off a parking lane and an eastbound travel lane on Magnolia Boulevard between Lankershim Boulevard and Vineland Avenue. The street retains two eastbound lanes and a westbound lane for through traffic. The center turn lane has been removed. As of press time, seven restaurants, including Tamashii Ramen House, brunch favorite EAT and coffee shop Republic of Pie have expanded their patios or outdoor dining areas into the street, adding socially distanced tables and chairs to raise capacity as indoor dining remains prohibited in L.A. County. That number is expected to grow to more than a dozen in the coming weeks. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti opened up the city’s al fresco program in late May as a way to help struggling restaurants by loosening regulations around outdoor dining. Similar programs in the Cities of Burbank, Pasadena and Ventura have provided considerable revenue boosts to imperiled small businesses in designated zones along San Fernando Road, Colorado Boulevard and Main Street, respectively. L.A. City Councilman Paul Krekorian, who oversees District 2 which includes North Hollywood, said in an email to the Business Journal outdoor dining could be a “potential lifesaver,” for some Magnolia Boulevard restaurants. According to Alignable, a small business referral platform in Boston, North Hollywood’s Al Fresco build-out is happening at a crucial time for small businesses. A Main Street business study published by Alignable last month found that about 35 percent of small retailers could close for good if their revenue doesn’t rise in the fourth quarter. Of the 1,361 retailers participating in the survey, 63 percent said they depend on fourth-quarter sales to stay afloat year-to-year. Krekorian said the current al fresco permits will expire December 31, but “if it proves to be a business and dining success we will work with the Department of Transportation and other relevant departments to extend the date and seek additional locations in my district.”

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