Los Feliz restaurant deals with positive COVID-19 case, says restaurant industry is struggling
"Closure of a restaurant for even one day is a death sentence," says Ashley Wells, the owner of All Time in Los Feliz.
LOS FELIZ (KABC) -- We last spoke with Los Feliz restaurant owners Ashley and Tyler Wells in March, right as the city began to quarantine and restaurants had to shut down all indoor and outdoor dining.
"It hasn't gotten any easier. It's gotten hasn't even gotten normal," said Tyler Wells.
The Wells' have managed to stay open throughout the pandemic but they recently had their first scare with COVID-19. Announcing on Instagram that an employee tested positive and they had to send the rest of their staff home.
"It's extremely painful to the pocketbook and the livelihood of the restaurant, but who cares? You know, if the restaurant goes out of business and we still do the right thing, we'll figure it out," said Tyler Wells.
Fortunately, the quarantine time for their staff is over now, and they have updated health protocols and frequent testing.
But Ashley says if this happens again, it could be the end of their restaurant.
"The closure of a restaurant for even one day is a death sentence in most cases. And we are selling anything that's not bolted down to try and bridge this gap and get back safely. But this is going to hurt tremendously and we are not the only ones in this position," said Ashley Wells.
Just days after the city went into lockdown, Ashley and Tyler said the city wasn't doing enough to support the restaurant industry. And they still believe that rings true today.
"It's really frustrating because I feel like we're the leaders, right? We're looking out for ourselves and our guests and our employees better than then anyone in local or even state government," said Tyler Wells.
The restaurant is back up and running again. Visit All Time at 2040 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027.
