STRICT regulation laws in California have fanned the flames of a years-long wave of restaurant closures that’s now surpassed Great Depression-era turmoil, experts say.
Owners and advocates joke that it’s easier to run a nuclear power plant than a cafe thanks to the city’s expensive and exhaustive red tape rules.
Mass closures in the golden state began in 2020 with Covid-19 restrictions and haven’t stopped due to the grueling cost of living crisis of 2026.
Now, local restaurant owners are pinching pennies trying to pay for rents, higher wages, and costly materials made even more expensive by tariffs…