A judge said Friday she wants to see if any changes in dining restrictions occur in the coming days at the state, county and city level before she considers issuing an order allowing The Classic Cat restaurant owners to allow dining in the eatery’s patio.
Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Elaine W. Mandel delayed ruling on the Sunset Boulevard business owners’ request for a temporary restraining order against the city of West Hollywood and Los Angeles County until Wednesday, when the hearing will resume.
According to the suit filed March 1, the restaurant’s owners have tried to work with the county and city, but to no avail. The county Department of Public Health has notified the eatery its patio does not meet safe airflow levels outlined by the state for outdoor dining and has limited the business to offering takeout and delivery.
The business owners say the patio has a retractable roof that creates a COVID-safe outdoor dining patio and has added numerous protections, including plexiglass and air ventilation improvements.
The original Classic Cat was a highly popular stop for locals and tourists, as well as celebrities such as the late Adam West, Charlton Heston and Jim Morrison as well as Chevy Chase.
This new incarnation of Classic Cat, located at 8830 Sunset Blvd. at Larrabee Street (in the space where Pono Burger was previously located) wants to build on that heritage, but with an upscale ambience and menu.
In addition to charges from the health department, the Classic Cat has also been cited by the City of West Hollywood for noise violations on three different occasions – Feb. 12, Feb. 14 and Feb. 21.
