As Hollywood cancels red-carpet events, L.A.'s hospitality industry is wary of returning to the kinds of restrictions the city saw during past COVID waves.
Mary Sue Milliken, chef and co-owner of downtown’s Border Grill and Santa Monica’s Socalo, says that sales declined by more than 20 percent over the weekend. She’s also seen an increase in requests to eat outside.
In the meantime, the chef says she’s concerned for her staff, even though they are all vaccinated and boosted and wear masks at all times. Earlier in the pandemic, a nurse came to the restaurant once a week to test employees, and Milliken is considering restarting that practice. Caitlin Cutler, co-owner of Ronan on Melrose Avenue, says that the restaurant has not yet seen a rise in cancelations, but the team is nevertheless preparing itself for the wave.
Elsewhere in Santa Monica, at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows, general manager Sam Jagger likewise says that offering al fresco dining options for those who feel more comfortable in an open-air setting is one way they are handling the unpredictable COVID climate. For the moment, he says, omicron has not affected bookings, which he credits to lessons learned from the last wave.