As omicron surges, some Los Angeles restaurants, bars closing temporarily

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With Los Angeles experiencing another COVID-19 surge, some restaurants and bars are halting indoor operations even though they don't have to.

The Roguelike Tavern, a bar in Burbank, canceled its New Year's Eve bash.

"Not happy to be making this announcement, but with the big surge of new cases here in LA and the extreme transmissibility of omicron, I've made the decision to close the bar for a little while," said the bar's owner in a Twitter video. "We're a small bar with no windows, not a lot of ventilation, no outdoor space. It just doesn't feel safe for us to be gathering in big numbers."

Although they haven't had any cases among staff, Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks decided to stop indoor and outdoor dining, switching completely to takeout before they might have been forced to do so. That meant canceling reservations and extending the decision through January, as cases of COVID-19 could rise significantly after the holidays.

"Let's stay ahead of the curve," said Justin Pichetrungsi, chef and owner at Anajak Thai. "Let's switch back to takeout like we did back in the first big wave of this pandemic and let's try to protect our staff and our customers especially because during the holiday times, a lot of travel, a lot of intermingling. We have to think about other people involved too. The elderly, my folks are a little bit older. Some of my staff are a little bit older too. I don't want to put them in harm's way."

Because of a staffing shortage due to the pandemic, Lawry's The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills has shut down all in-restaurant dining until the first week of January.

But some spots, like Urban Press Winery in Burbank, are moving forward with their New Year's Eve plans.

"This might become something we have to live with for maybe another year and I think we just have to go back to hand-sanitizing ourselves. If you're sick, please don't come out. if you're feeling good and you're vaccinated, do come," said Giovanni D'Andrea, owner of Urban Press Winery.