Can social media save a Seattle restaurant celebrating its 50th year in business? A woman, whose family owns La Palma Family Mexican Restaurant, has given herself 30 days in hopes that it can.
In one of her first videos, Loren Jewett, whose grandparents have owned and operated the restaurant since 1976, shared “business is struggling and I’m scared that if something doesn’t change, we could lose the restaurant that’s been part of our family for generations.”
Not wanting to go the way of so many other small, family-run businesses, Jewett hoped to use the power of social media to bring people back through their doors.
“The past nine days have been a complete whirlwind in the most beautiful way possible. We’ve been packed open to close and sometimes had lines out the door,” Jewett said.
Across social media, her videos have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Content creators, TV stations, regulars, and new customers have made it a point to support this local business. At times, the place has been so packed, people trying to come and help them out, haven’t been able to get a seat.
“I’m honestly just blown away by how quickly this community has shown up for my grandpa and our amazing staff who depend on this restaurant for their livelihood,” she said.
When KUOW visited the restaurant, all the customers there, barring two people who weren’t locals, were getting food and drinks because of the online buzz.
“I grew up in Seattle and so I always want to support local businesses. I want to see them thrive especially after Covid,” said Justine Crispin, who lives in Queen Anne. “We’ve seen so many businesses close and it’s definitely important to come and support when you can.”…