Restaurants in downtown Ventura remain open despite outdoor dining ban

VENTURA, Calif. (KABC) -- Several restaurants in downtown Ventura are continuing to offer outdoor dining despite a state ban on the activity amid rising coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.

Last week, the owner of the restaurant Nick The Greek put up signs advertising a protest and since then, patrons have filtered in for a sit-down meal outdoors.

Other restaurants in the area have also remained open, citing what they call a lack of evidence that outdoor dining is dangerous.

Jan Holguin, owner of Casa Bella, said they decided to reopen following the ruling from a judge that Los Angeles County health officials acted "arbitrarily" and "failed to perform the required risk-benefit analysis" before enacting its ban on outdoor dining.

L.A. County health officials acted "arbitrarily'' and without a proper "risk-benefit" analysis when they banned outdoor dining as a coronavirus-control measure, a judge ruled Tuesday.

The ruling, however, did not immediately restore in-person dining.

Restaurant owners say they've followed all local health orders and feel they're being unfairly punished.

Many say they also want to stay open, not just to keep their business running, but to help save jobs.

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