Local Council Calls for Outdoor Dining as Longtime Westside Restaurant Temporarily Closes

Owner of The Rose says most recent round of closures have forced him to layoff staff

By Sam Catanzaro

As a local neighborhood council asks lawmakers to allow outdoor dining, a 42-year-old Westside restaurant has temporarily closed saying “draconian measures…have made it infeasible us to continue”.

At the Tuesday, December 15 Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) meeting, the board passed a resolution that argued since Los Angeles County has allowed outdoor in-person dining on film sets it should set the same standards for restaurants.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled the restaurant industry and threatens to put many restaurateurs out of business…the recent ban on outside dining will push even more restaurants into insolvency…tens of thousands of jobs in the restaurant industry have been lost to date and many thousands more will be lost due to the ban on outside dining,” reads the resolution. “[The] Venice Neighborhood Council calls upon the city of Los Angeles to call upon the county Department of Public Health to immediately quantify the protocols under which film companies have been allowed to provide outside dining to their crews on film sets and to allow all restaurants in Los Angeles County to re-open outside dining under the same protocols.”

The motion passed nearly unanimously with one vote of absence.

At the meeting, owner of The Rose–formally known as The Rose Cafe –Jason Neroni spoke about how due to the most recent round of closures he was forced to layoff the remainder of his staff. In a recent Instagram post, the restaurant took aim at local lawmakers.

“The current state of draconian measures imposed on restaurants by the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti and Governor Gavin Newsom have made it infeasible for us to continue to operate during these trying times. With that in mind, we have made the decision to take a hiatus for the next few weeks to spend some time with our families and get some much-needed rest after the year we have had,” reads the post. “We will be polishing up The Rose for our returns in 2021 when we hope to be free to host you as we always have for over 42 years.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on November 25, citing increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The county Board of Supervisors debated the issue on Nov. 24, but voted 3-2 to support the ban, arguing that restaurant patrons spend extended periods of time in close proximity and without wearing masks.

Under Los Angeles County rules–in effect until December 17–restaurants, breweries and wineries may only offer food and beverage via take-out, drive-thru or delivery. In addition, Gov. Gavin Newson has ordered restaurants to suspend indoor and outdoor dining through the holiday season in regions across the state including Los Angeles.

Two weeks ago, a county judge ruled that LA County health officials acted “arbitrarily” and without a sufficient “risk-benefit” analysis when they banned outdoor dining. However, the ruling does not change the status of restaurants due to Newsom’s overriding order.

Owner of The Rose says most recent round of closures have forced him to layoff staff

By Sam Catanzaro

As the Venice Neighborhood Council asks lawmakers to allow outdoor dining, a 42-year-old Venice restaurant has temporarily closed saying “draconian measures…have made it infeasible us to continue”.

At the Tuesday, December 15 Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) meeting, the board passed a resolution that argued since Los Angeles County has allowed outdoor in-person dining on film sets it should set the same standards for restaurants.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled the restaurant industry and threatens to put many restaurateurs out of business…the recent ban on outside dining will push even more restaurants into insolvency…tens of thousands of jobs in the restaurant industry have been lost to date and many thousands more will be lost due to the ban on outside dining,” reads the resolution. “[The] Venice Neighborhood Council calls upon the city of Los Angeles to call upon the county Department of Public Health to immediately quantify the protocols under which film companies have been allowed to provide outside dining to their crews on film sets and to allow all restaurants in Los Angeles County to re-open outside dining under the same protocols.”

The motion passed nearly unanimously with one vote of absence.

At the meeting, owner of The Rose–formally known as The Rose Cafe –Jason Neroni spoke about how due to the most recent round of closures he was forced to layoff the remainder of his staff. In a recent Instagram post, the restaurant took aim at local lawmakers.

“The current state of draconian measures imposed on restaurants by the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti and Governor Gavin Newsom have made it infeasible for us to continue to operate during these trying times. With that in mind, we have made the decision to take a hiatus for the next few weeks to spend some time with our families and get some much-needed rest after the year we have had,” reads the post. “We will be polishing up The Rose for our returns in 2021 when we hope to be free to host you as we always have for over 42 years.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on November shut down outdoor dining, citing increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The county Board of Supervisors debated the issue on Nov. 24, but voted 3-2 to support the ban, arguing that restaurant patrons spend extended periods of time in close proximity and without wearing masks.

Under Los Angeles County rules–which were in effect until December 17–restaurants, breweries and wineries may only offer food and beverage via take-out, drive-thru or delivery. In addition, Gov. Gavin Newson has ordered restaurants to suspend indoor and outdoor dining through the holiday season in regions across the state including Los Angeles.

Two weeks ago, a county judge ruled that LA County health officials acted “arbitrarily” and without a sufficient “risk-benefit” analysis when they banned outdoor dining. However, the ruling does not change the status of restaurants due to Newsom’s overriding order.

To date, Public Health has identified 647,542 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 9,016 deaths. On Tuesday, Public Health confirmed 88 new deaths and 12,954 new cases of COVID-19.

There are 5,866 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 20% of these people are in the ICU. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Tuesday is again a new high.

“Public Health warns that without a change in how we celebrate the winter holidays, Los Angeles County will experience a surge on top of a surge on top of a surge. Hospitals are already over capacity and the high-quality medical care we are accustomed to in LA County is beginning to be compromised as our frontline healthcare workers are beyond stretched to the limit,” the department said.

in Dining, News
Related Posts

Santa Monica Man Arrested for Allegedly Exporting Electronics to Iran

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

Ostovari, identified as the CEO of a Tehran-based engineering firm, allegedly orchestrated the scheme since 2018  A 66-year-old Santa Monica...

California Hits Two-Thirds Clean Energy Milestone

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

This year, clean energy has powered the state for an average of seven hours daily, with over 90% of days...

ICE Raids Disrupt Labor in Fire Recovery Efforts: REPORT

July 14, 2025

July 14, 2025

Immigrants, comprising about 75% of Los Angeles County’s construction workforce with nearly half undocumented, per a Bay Area Council analysis,...

Nonprofit Formed by Palisades High Alumni to Host Benefit Concert for Fire Recovery

July 14, 2025

July 14, 2025

All proceeds will support relief for the Hildebrand family, Palisades High School’s booster club and Palisades Dolphin Strong The Pacific...

Santa Monica Assault Suspect Faces Multiple Charges, Authorities Seek Additional Victims

July 14, 2025

July 14, 2025

Marbra allegedly assaulted a 52-year-old woman on the Strand in Santa Monica, facing a felony count of assault with intent...

Elvis’ TV Legacy in Beverly Hills to be Explored in Upcoming Event

July 14, 2025

July 14, 2025

The session will feature rare clips from the Paley Archive, including Presley’s debut TV appearance, his 1968 Comeback Special, performances...

Veterans Tech Group to Launch Los Angeles Chapter with Networking Event

July 14, 2025

July 14, 2025

Founded in San Francisco, VetsInTech operates 20 chapters nationwide and claims more than 60,000 veterans VetsInTech, a national nonprofit that...

County Launches Campaign to Boost Fire-Hit Small Businesses

July 13, 2025

July 13, 2025

Affected businesses can register for promotional support and resources, while residents are urged to take a Shop Local Pledge and...

One-Acre Riviera Lot Listed for $7.25M After Fire Loss

July 13, 2025

July 13, 2025

The site includes completed Phase I and II plans featuring an accessory dwelling unit, infinity pool, sauna/gym, and sport court...

Sen. Ben Allen Highlights Challenges, Economic Gains for LA28 Olympics

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

The remarks came during the first informational hearing of the Senate’s Special Committee on International Sporting Events State Sen. Ben...

Downtown Santa Monica CEO Andrew Thomas to Step Down

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

Thomas, who rejoined DTSM, Inc. in 2022, oversaw the introduction of a private security program, expanded homeless outreach, and boosted...

Mayor Bass Issues Directive to Protect Immigrant Communities

July 12, 2025

July 12, 2025

The order expands access to city resources for affected families and requests records from ICE, including details on arrests Mayor...

USC Initiative Seeks Fire Recovery Stories from LA County Residents

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Two community listening sessions are planned: one on July 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at KCRW Headquarters in...

County Supervisors Move to Preserve Measure J Amid Charter Error

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Measure J mandates that at least 10% of the county’s locally generated, unrestricted funds be allocated to community investments like...

Pepperdine Announces 2025-2026 Arts Season with Diverse Lineup

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

The lineup includes a mix of dance, music, theater, and art exhibitions across the Malibu campus Pepperdine University’s Lisa Smith...