Kenji Suzuki is the owner and operator of Suehiro Cafe, a longtime Los Angeles Japanese restaurant that is closing its Little Tokyo location after being…
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As COVID-19 decimated the Los Angeles restaurant industry, downtown’s Little Tokyo found itself particularly hard hit, as did similar enclaves of mom-and-pop eateries. Language, cultural and technological barriers made it difficult for some to adjust to the pandemic realities of delivery and takeout. Bottom lines shrank severely.
Now, Little Tokyo’s 1st Street is filled with people eating on tables extending past the curb into the street. The street’s eastern block has become a hub for alfresco dining, thanks to an L.A. city program that let restaurants offer outdoor seating during the pandemic, and which officials are considering making a permanent fixture in the city at large.