Taking a look back at some of Downtown’s most beloved businesses hit hardest by the era of Covid 19. From eateries to dance floors, DTLA will never be the same. Here’s a list of 10 Great Places That May Be Gone for Good in DTLA…
Family Reunion – Bad Son Tacos – Little Tokyo
Just when you discover a hidden gem (in the form of delicious tacos), here comes an ugly monster out of nowhere and snatches those tacos away from you.
In the case of Bad Son Tacos, this monster was a three-headed dragon. One had the head of a closed dining room, the other had a PPP loan that never arrived, and the third was a rental agreement that made it impossible for the newly popularized taqueria to stay in business.
Who would expect that a local taco vendor offering traditional tacos located inside a Japanese grocery store in Little Tokyo Mall would see business at all? But to the contrary, Bad Son Tacos was a hit!
Bad Son kept a steady flow of customers that would rival the likes of any found vendor stand inside of Grand Central Market. Thanks to the flavors of handmade tortillas, salsa and traditional South of the Border favorites like Tinga, Mole and Chapulines (grasshopper) tacos, characters you just couldnât find anyone else, these recipes were all the fuel needed to catapult Bad Son into greatness.
But, then there was COVID! And suddenly without foot traffic or dine-in options, one day, the familyâs terrible sibling sadly announced on May 18th, that Bad Son Tacos would be closing indefinitely.
But never fear, brothers David and Elvis may be the bad sons, but their family did not forsake them. Bad Son Tacos rejoined their fatherâs restaurant, La Morenita (the Little Brown One) in Lincoln Heights, bringing on the Bad Son crew whoâs now getting everything ready for when the family can reopen La Morenitaâs dining area. www.instagram.com/lamorenitabroadway
Tainted Love – Kiss Pizza – Historic Core
After 12 Years in the Historic Core, Kiss Pizza announced this week that it would be closing itâs doors on Broadway forever. Owners took to social media, stating that sales had dropped over 50 percent and that the cost of high rent and inventory kept it from becoming an âaffordable businessâ.
In April, the beloved pizzeria known for making heart-shaped pizzas, started a Go Fund Me page to help with rent and utilities.
âRent is $5,700 monthly, meaning we pay $190 a day. As you can see, rent is not affordable at this moment. We are short of sales and still have to cover utilities and inventory.â – the campaign pleaded.
Kiss Pizza is a family-run operation stated in the Go Fund, had family members working up to 10 hours a day without pay.
Kiss Pizza, like many others, did what most eateries did early on, subscribed to UberEats and other delivery services and applied for SBAâs disaster loan. Yet, like many others, soon found the disaster relief loan had not been processed within the 3 daytime frame as promised.
In the end, Kiss Pizza was only able to raise $50 out of the Go Found Me Goal of $5700 goal and will close its doors Sunday afternoon. DTLA Kiss Pizza fans are heartbroken. www.instagram.com/kisspizzala
Unlimited Text – Taix – Echo Park
A petition on Change.Org is gaining momentum now with over 2500 voting to preserve the Historic French Restaurant Taix (pronounces âTEXâ) in itâs entirely instead of going ahead with plans to completely tear down the location and replace it with a 170 mixed-use development project.
Petitioners are calling for the new owners, Holland Partner Group, to âleave Taix intact: the building, the food, the lounge, the staff, the porte-cochère, the decorâ. They are stating that losing Taix would leave a deep void in the cultural fabric that holds our community together.
Also, petitioners are siting the FBI’s ongoing corruption probe into land-use decisions made at City Hall, with significant scale developments getting special treatment and zoning upgrades may be behind the closure and demolition.
They are also calling for the nomination of Taix to be placed under the fatality of Historic-Cultural Monument status and donations.
Owner Mike Taix has stated that the trend in the economy, the wake of increases to the minimum wage, rising food costs, and the cost of maintaining and repairing an aging building ultimately eased his decision to sell the location. Mike Taix, grandson, promised a new version of Taix to occupy a small storefront when the dust settles.
Although the demolition and rebuilding process may take years, Covid-19 mandates have already turned the fashionable dimly lit, elegant dining space into a classy TakeOut joint. In true developer takeover fashion, the ground floors are already slated for popular dining and retail shops ready to sign the tombstone in the form of a new lease on top of the old Taix burial ground. May God bless and Taix always. www.taixfrench.com
On to a Better Place – Divine Dips – Skid Row
Officially closed February 22nd, the vegan ice cream shop struggled with the high demands of itâs Skid Row border location and fell short of establishing its ice cream as Downtownâs top nondairy destination.
Despite overly delicious flavors and nondairy ice cream options that could easily be mistaken for dairy and an entire new build-out on the corner of 6th and Los Angeles, Dips faced a constant barrage of homeless intruders, drunken party-goers, low sales, and unassumed expenses brought on by the property owners in the form of ever raising street maintenance cost and back rent fees.
In 2019, Owner Diane Jacobs took to social media in a last ditch effort which seemed to work well.
Jacobs raising her desired crowdfunding goals and gained the attention of IG influencer celebrities and members of the African American Community who recognized the value. This led to a boost in sales in the form of new patrons, but never quite recovered expenses and inevitably closed. On February 22nd, 2020, Divine Dips moved on to a better place, but not before throwing one hell of a gathering for fans, family, and friends. www.divinedipsicecream.com
Custerâs Last Popcorn Stand – Alamo Draft House – Financial District
According to the CDC, the spread of Covid-19 and enclosed crowds go together like hot butter on popcorn, so for the time being, no matter how comfortable or far the seats are apart, there will be no Alamo Draft House movie-going experience.
The novelty movie theater experience was pretty damned cool. Alamo offered up concessions of cult classics, draft beers and private parties but has closed its doors along with almost every other location inside TheBloc’s open-air shopping mall, on 7th and Flower. Alamo hasn’t publically answered one message to fans in weeks.
Visit their IG, and youâll see a long list of comments with DTLA residents asking if they can return movies and demanding they not have to pay late fees.
Back in March, Alamoâs spokespeople stated they would remain closed until they had the safest possible movie-going experience for our guests and staff.
However, hope is not all lost for movie lovers wishing to âRemember the Alamo.â
After their theaters shut down in mid-March, the movie chain reeled out â Alamo On Demand, a video on demand platform created with their fans in mind. Watch out Netflix! www.drafthouse.com
All Tapped Out – Mikkeller Craft Beer Bar – South Park
You know things are bad when a coffee shop closes down in DTLA. But when a brew bar offering a coffee shop inside closes down, you can finally say, âAll hope is lost.â
Just two days after celebrating their 3rd anniversary on the corner of Olympic and Olive with $2 Beers, and discounted burgers, on February 22nd, Mikkeller outpost closed down for good. Not only did they close in DTLA, but rumors have it closed in San Fran as well. Was that a clever way of getting rid of some excess product before closing, because no one at the celebration really had a clue?
So what gives? Reportedly, a former exec told members of the press, quote, âMikkeller DTLA has lost money every month since it opened three years ago. Iâve exhausted all my money and credit lines covering payroll, rent, etc. Iâve been doing everything I can to keep the place open.â
And he was right. Many a day, patrons passed by the vast complex adorned with paintings that covered its industrial gut, which catered mostly to a majority of empty seats.
Perhaps the beer wasnât as tasty as they claimed? Or maybe DTLA was just too spoiled – having more than a few local brewpubs to choose from, all offering a delicious variety of beers on tap within a three-mile radius.
Sure, take them for granted if you want but wonder what would happen if lockdown was lifted today, and Mikkeller was the first beer batch to reopened its doors? www.mikkellerbar.com
#YouAintBlack – Krab Queenz – South Park
Did someone hear Joe Biden say, “If you donât miss KrabQueenz, you ainât black?â
Haha -jk- BUT – Say goodbye to Buttery Cajun, Garlic Spicy, and Inferno covered Crab legs, Cat Fish, and Unpeeled Shrimp. KrabQueez in South Park is closed for good.
Brought to DTLA by Houston native and celebrity DragQueen/Comedian Kwaylon Rogers (better known as âTitiâ to her enormous social media following on the web, and operating for less than a year at the tip of Hope Street Village, black owned celebrity filled KrabQueenz offered seafood plates with just as much personality as itâs owners. www.instagram.com/blameitonkway
Many days taking on large crowds, rowdy sports fans and DTLA Residents into its dining area and patio with long lines around the block, customer service and reviews were as mixed as their colorful frozen daiquiris, which came in a unique array of colors and candy garnishes.
It may not always be the best place for fast and furious service, but always a fun place to hang out, grab a drink, and eat with your hands.
Oddly, the corner of 11th and Hope has seen more than the usual share of failed eateries (The Briks, Testa & now KrabQueenz) back to back, all closing within a year. Seemingly an ill fainted corner for new spots – while itâs catty-corner neighbor Prank Bar remains unscathed with exception to having to close temporarily recently due to Corona Virus mandates.
You Canât Stop the Music
Just about every dance venue in DTLA are stuck on the respirator.
Dancing feet everywhere want to know. When will it be safe to go clubbing again?
Covid-19 mandates have all but ruined the Nightlife scene from Hollywood to USC.
Not only nightclubs but live music venues and outdoor concerts – all canceled until further notice.
Not only outdoor concerts, but grooming places are yet to reopen fully with no way to prep even to want to stand out in a crowd.
No more Electronica, Salsa, Disco, old School, Hip Hop, Punk Rock, Top 40, or Reggaeton, there’s not even standing allowed on the dancefloor.
The Spring of 2020 marked the end of crowded, hot, steamy dance clubs, on stage go-go girls, private tables and popped bottles. Let alone a place to drink and dance, become uninhibited and take unnecessary chances.
The lights are off, the venues are hallowed and will remain hallow indefinitely, or at least until we can dance without a mask, and for now, thereâs just not a phase to fight the spread of Covid-19 that suggest we are safe without one.
The only hope we have is that most of our nightclubâs famed DJâs have been hosting virtual DJ sets from home on the web and social media. Tune in at home to shake your groove thang.
We donât need no water! – The FireHouse Hotel – Arts District
Gone too soon. The Firehouse Hotel, a sheik new Arts District Boutique Hotel on 7th and Sante Fe seems to have closed for good.
Despite Owner Dustin Lancaster confirming plans for rejuvenating the 9-room, historic fire station (turned hotel boutique) complete with a new chef, food and bar menu, in just âeight short weeksâ, and after spending multi-millions of dollars on the property and completed build-out, The Firehouse Hotel remains dark. The website is entirely down with social media showing 0 posts and a burnt-out message of being “closed indefinitely”. Did someone say, “Money to Burn”?
Vaping Can Kill – Smoke Tokes – Little Tokyo
Well needless to say, Smoke Tokes Warehouse wonât be back.
The warehouse distributor, which supplied highly flammable materials, caught fire, which led to several explosions and a massive fire that injured over 20 firefighters on May 17th, leaving 11 of our hottest men in critical condition.
Capt. Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, told the media investigators still arenât determining the cause of the fire that sparked the blast. Still, authorities are now coming up with a long list of rules for the area to upon which to abide. Rule number one, no smoking!
