In the past few weeks of March we have seen the closures of four more businesses on the Sunset Strip. Le Petit Four called it quits after 40 years. In their letter posted on March 21, the long term West Hollywood based business stated “we did everything possible to keep our doors open.”
Rock N Reilly’s, an iconic West Hollywood institution also Ghosted WeHo, the Irish-inspired club left a week before St. Patrick’s Day. Ghost refers to an Irish goodbye where you just leave the party without saying goodbye. Two weeks ago ‘the Hudson’ said bye bye to Weho after three years. But alas, this week the Den would also announce it’s goodbye.
Owner Brett Latteri of the Den is a pillar on Sunset. He is also the Chair of the Sunset Strip Business Improvement District. A dedicated business owner and good friend who bid a tearful goodbye to his staff. We were on the phone when he was penning that letter and I could feel the emotion. The dream an an entrepreneur, the dreams of so many entrepreneurs who put their hearts, souls, ideas, money and commitment in a city that changed the rules. So many of these owners did not build their business on a highest in the nation cost of labor, or labor cost set on auto-increase where they lose their control over their business and its wages. So many of the business owners dealing with homeless issues who took priority over the customers or the business. A city that was going to cut its public safety budget and let all hell break loose a few years ago in the name of ‘defund’. The results are clear.
The decline in foot traffic along Sunset has been happening for years. The places we wanted to walk to closed. Tower Records, Dukes, or even your local Chase bank. Street activated businesses like the Viper Room would be closed to clear lots for larger developments. Digital Billboards and sky activation took precedent over street activated businesses. The city would squeeze billboard companies with $ shares of profits that could net the billboard company an expansive footprint and net the city a million dollars on a single billboard. Up and down Sunset the money is in billboards.
One can’t underestimate the effects of the increases in the minimum wage and workers package promoted for the housekeepers and UNITE HERE Local 11 – but applied to all workers including those tipped workers. The extra costs akin to a ‘Trump tariff ‘on all businesses doing business within Weho’s borders. The ‘residents’ and ‘customers’ paying the tariff on most restaurant paychecks. Businesses pairing hours and staff resulting in less-service to the customer. It’s a spiral down to the bottom.
One day the strip will pick up the pieces. Taller buildings with penciled-out new developments. From the ashes a new phoenix will rise. West Hollywood is on its way to being a very exclusive club. A far cry from the rock and roll legends who came west in search of a dream or an affordable apartment on the Sunset Strip.
Many of those legends have long passed but the legend of the Sunset Strip will live on for eternity. We may not see Jim Morrison again at the Viper Room but we do have Jon D’Amico and the legends of Rock and Roll tour to tell those stories of yesterday. The developers will re-incarnate those properties and a new Sunset Strip will be born. We can only hope.
It is dishonest (at best) to blame minimum wage increases for the downfall of businesses (especially restaurants) in West Hollywood — without acknowledging the insane, unregulated, unreported rent increases on commercial properties. If it had kept pace with commercial property rents over the years, I bet the minimum wage in Weho would be $50 or $100/hr.
Tenants sign 5-10-20 year leases and know what the rent is. The variable is the new laws concenring workers. You might want to re-think your statement.
There needs to be a city funded fact finding mission to determine why so many buissnes have closed. I do believe its the highest in the nation min wage. I dont think any of the owners or large companys want to say that publicly, because it would look like anti worker and bottom line only focused. The foot traffic on sunset is gone. I agree with larry. The billboard lobby has continued to get more and more billboards. Electric or animated billboards were once banned. How thats changed, I dont know. The days of only seeing them as revenue for… Read more »
The Death of West Hollywood. Who cares? Really. Has been DOA for some time now. There really needs to be a DOGE for: 1) State of California; 2) County of Los Angeles; and 3) Cities in Southern California Anyone paying attention can see nothing works–not in this country, not in this state, not in this county, and not in many cities (including west hollywood). Anyone and everyone currently running your corrupt, morally bankrupt, grossly inefficient, congealed, and incalcitrant public agencies should be deported to China to slow their unstoppable overtake of the U.S. But that won’t happen. Instead, you’ll keep… Read more »
There’s plenty wrong with the direction of the city, but Larry’s bias in this publication and in his public statements is entirely transparent. How do we know what’s actually true and what are cherry-picked facts? And for that matter, what are simply Larry’s opinions?
The title OpEd, means opinion, editorial, or a perspective. But there is not a single fact in there that you can dispute. But we still post your bias.
The Sunset Strip’s failure goes far beyond the minimum wage pay for restaurant workers. A few years ago, I parked in Sunset Plaza. My task was to eat at The Butcher, The Baker, and the Cappuccino Maker and shop at Lorenzo. I made the cardinal sin of walking down to Fred Segal ( now closed, not due to minimum wage ) before crossing the street to return to eat. Then, I did indeed drop some coin at Lorenzo, only to return to my car with a parking ticket. My parking violation? Walking past the “Sunset Plaza” sign on the sidewalk.… Read more »
Cities change over d cafes BUT NOT LIKE THIS!
Minimum wage does need to o be higher.
WeHo is the EASIEST GIFT TO OPPONENTS OF INCREASING MINIMUM WAGE.
So why not close 1-3 of each franchise to “be an example to 13mullion residents (less WeHo 35 thousand residents)
Can’t lead on the toughest thing issue from literally ‘squat’ from billion dollar franchises.
We handed the control AND power to change min wages & the noose they now have full control over
A tariff to do business in West Hollywood. Lol. True.
The good Jon DAmico does the tours. The bad John DAmico sold his soul to the devil sniffing Sepi and Lindsey’s feet.
To hope, we need a vision. There is no vision for the Sunset Strip. What is the goal of the look, the culture, the feel of the future of the Strip?
Today, the City Council and Mayor are allowing, even enabling, the developers and billboards to greedily shape the future.
The Sunset Strip deserves a future plan, a vision that we all can see and understand. Let’s at least create a vision first!
The March closures will be ignored at the next council meeting. None of them will acknowledge what’s happened. Shhh……
“We can only hope…”, but what is the Vision of the Sunset Strip that we should hope for? Has the City Council developed a Vision for the WeHo residents ( and, indeed, the country) to see and hope for? Our beloved Sunset Strip deserves a Vision for the future that is articulated, discussed and understood by the residents of our city. Then, the Mayor and City Council can plan and work toward that Vision to become a reality with the support of its residents. Without a coherent plan, the Sunset Strip will not know its destiny and aimlessly limp along… Read more »
The city wants us all to be fed up / just done with the city all together. The more lower cost housing turns over the more income for the city. Within the next 6-9 months I see more restaurants closing and honestly wouldn’t be surprised if its not some DECADES old establishments.. The cost of doing business in the city is just getting to high and the locals are not showing up to dine in them. You can only rely on the tourist crowd so much…