Caught in the protest crossfire, Canter's Deli stays open to distribute water
Many of the shuttered businesses around Canter’s — including a nearby hair salon and clothing store — were looted and heavily damaged. The restaurant, however, escaped unscathed, aside from what Canter called “a drop of graffiti.
”“Most of the protesters were not there to cause problems but to express themselves,” he said. “The ones that did turn violent, it seemed like they came to take advantage of the situation. It’s really unfortunate.” Keeping the restaurant — known for its 24-hour service — open throughout the chaos, Canter said, was a decision he made by default. “I don’t think we would have escaped damage if we’d closed.” he said. “If you stay open, they’re not going to target you.”Advertisement During the 1992 L.A. Riots, Canter, then 27, said he remembers a car filled with would-be looters driving past once they saw the deli’s iconic neon sign was lit. “I think they somehow respected that,” he said. “At that time we were feeding the whole city. We had people come in to buy a quart of milk because none of the grocery stores were open.” But on Saturday, eventually, Canter’s did close. The police shut the restaurant down at 7:30 p.m., a half hour before a citywide curfew went into effect; it had planned to keep the dining room open until midnight. Canter said his 30 or so employees were detained for an hour before police let them leave. Many were concerned about being arrested for violating curfew on the way home, so Canter typed up letters using the deli’s stationery explaining they were essential workers.“The cops told us, ‘If anyone gives you trouble, tell them you work at Canter’s,’” he said.At 9:30 p.m., the lights were turned off and the doors locked. Canter offered the day’s leftover soup to police gathered outside, which was not taken up. Canter, for his part, was exhausted. He’d worked until 3 a.m. the night before preparing for table service after L.A. County’s surprise announcement on Friday that dine-in service could resume.“We were expecting dining to be closed until July. It was shocking. I was scrambling to find enough individual condiments.”
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