Another Reason Not to Live in California
2nd April 2013
Located on the corner of Figueroa and 101st Street in South Central Los Angeles, Tam’s Burgers has been a part of the neighborhood for almost 30 years, serving burgers and fries through multiple recessions and even the 1992 L.A. riots. “When the markets were burned down, liquor stores were burned down, everything was burned down, people had nowhere to go, they came to us,” says Nick Benetatos, who took over the restaurant in 1989 after his father retired.
But in 2012 the city declared Tam’s a “public nuisance,” claiming the late-night joint was a haven for criminals. Benetatos says he is simply located in a high-crime area and has tried to work with the Los Angeles Police Department, honoring its requests that he remove pay phones on the property and tables for outdoor seating, which he says resulted in a 15 percent decline in revenues.
The city’s zoning board then ordered Benetatos to comply with 22 separate conditions, such as hiring a full-time security guard, fencing in the entire property, and installing a security camera that links directly to the LAPD’s electronic surveillance system. After losing a December zoning appeal, Benetatos says he is close to throwing in the napkin and closing up shop.
April 2nd, 2013 at 20:37
This is the city of LA’s standard MO. Benetatos should watch the relevant episode of “Pit Bulls and Parolees” and then decide to which blue state he wants to relocate.