LA Times: Fix Everything -- And the Kitchen Sink!

In today's Los Angeles Times, Steve Lopez's Points West column wrote about all the regulatory red tape restauranteurs go through when opening or expanding a restaurant, highlighting in particular the woes of Larkin's and Oinkster in Eagle Rock (both of which had their openings delayed for months), Delilah in Echo Park (which opened in January after nearly a year of fighting red tape) and Joan's on Third's expansion setbacks in Los Angeles (which LA Eater has chronicled).

One bit that particular striked me in surprise about the bureaucratic obstacles an aspiring eatery owner must go through:

"Instead of running a bakery, [Genevieve Ostrander's] full-time job for nearly a year was the fight to open Delilah, and she ran up a debt of $120,000."

Of course, I understand the city's need to make sure all new/expanded businesses abide by their regulations (whether parking issues, environmental concerns, structural proofing, etc.) but as Lopez pointed out in the article, it'll be great if the process is more streamlined and that the standards and inspections are more consistent so that one person's go ahead is not another inspector or department's no way, Jose.

As Larkin Mackey noted in the article, "Sometimes you get different instructions from the same inspector . . . it just depends on how they feel that day."

Definitely a worthwhile read, and a call to arm for us foodies to provide support for the small food places we love best, 'cause chances are that the chef-owners have given their every last penny to pursue their dreams & passions and they are probably still struggling to get out of the red.