Southland Restaurants
As if fewer customers and increased competition weren’t enough problems, restaurant operators in Southern California have another headache looming: smog control. The Air Quality Management District, seeking to reduce so-called stationary (non-automotive) sources of air pollution, is thinking of imposing stringent controls on charbroilers. Such a move would require that restaurants with such broilers obtain permits and install filters to reduce smoke and ash. If adopted, the rule could take effect in the next few years.
Charbroilers have become increasingly popular in the area as diners eat more fish and chicken cooked without deep frying. Unfortunately, the broilers spew out ash and food particles that contribute to air pollution, according to the AQMD. Restaurant industry officials worry that anti-pollution equipment will be so expensive that many small operators will not be able to continue using charbroilers.
As the restaurant boom took hold in Southern California during the 1980s, major corporations spotted the profit potential and moved in. Major restaurant chains were started, purchased or expanded: Denny’s, Coco’s and Sizzler, to name a few.
Now, as the industry is retrenching and seeking ways to hold down costs, some observers see signs that interest by big corporations in Southland restaurants is waning. Already, Marriott Corp. has put up for sale the Bob’s Big Boy chain, and Ramada Inns has sold the Marie Callender coffee shop chain. “The chains just don’t see the profits they once did,” a restaurant broker says. “We’re going to see more sales and the closure of unprofitable outlets.”
Although the Los Angeles-Long Beach area has by far the largest number of eating places in Southern California, the region has several large concentrations of restaurants, according to 1987 data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau:
Number of ’87 Sales Area Eating Places in billions $ Los Angeles-Long Beach 11,451 $5.8 Anaheim-Santa Ana 3,614 1.98 San Diego 3,186 1.56 Riverside-San Bernardino 2,580 1.2 Oxnard-Ventura 828 0.368
By comparison, the New York City area had 11,141 eating places, with $4.9 billion in sales; Chicago had 8,092, with sales of $3.95 billion; San Francisco had 3,553, with sales of $1.78 billion, and Oakland had 2,883 with sales of $1.26 billion.
