Introduction to Malibu’s Recovery
Six months after the Palisades fire roared down Pacific Coast Highway, the Country Kitchen in Malibu is open for business, but many customers have yet to return. The no-frills eatery features a few outdoor tables and ocean views, nestled in a narrow parking lot alongside a liquor store and gift shop. The restaurant, which opened in 1972, is literally a hole in the wall. It serves breakfast burritos all day and burgers out of a window.
Impact of the Palisades Fire
It wasn’t destroyed by the fires but had extensive smoke damage. It was cut off from most of its customers for close to five months, waiting for the highway to reopen. Business is a lot better than it was a couple of months ago, but still well below what the restaurant would usually see this time of year. “Things are better, but if you compare it to last year, it’s still probably 25% less business,” said Joel Ruiz, who has worked at the Country Kitchen for 40 years.
Recovery Efforts
Up and down the coast, businesses that survived the flames are still hoping for a return to normalcy. As customers slowly return to a changed landscape, the small businesses that dot Pacific Coast Highway wonder how long it will take to get back to business as usual. PCH was closed to nonresidents for five months following the Palisades fire, isolating the once-bustling businesses that catered to beachgoers and tourists.
Statistics on the Palisades Fire
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Palisades fire charred more than 23,000 acres and destroyed more than 6,000 structures. The blaze burned the vast majority of homes along the ocean from Topanga Canyon to Las Flores Canyon. Nearly 800 structures were lost in Malibu, including the Reel Inn, a seafood restaurant just a few miles down the road from the Country Kitchen. Other popular restaurants, including Duke’s Malibu, are still closed due to damage. Caffe Luxxe near Carbon Beach was closed for months before reopening in May.
Challenges Faced by Businesses
Jefferson Wagner, owner of Zuma Jay’s surf shop, reopens after being closed due to the Palisades fire. It should be peak summer season for Zuma Jay’s, which has been selling boards and wax to surfers since 1975. Instead, sales are about a third less than normal. “It’s better, but not like it was last year at the same time,” Jefferson Wagner said. He couldn’t pay his four employees for months.
Financial Impact
Some estimates put the total cost of the Los Angeles area wildfires at $250 billion. Gaps or delays in insurance coverage have kept many from cleaning or rebuilding their property at the pace they hoped. “We’re still trying to get back to what we had before,” said Malibu City Councilmember Doug Stewart, who was serving as mayor during the Palisades fire. “The store owners and restaurants are telling me that things have picked up considerably, but they’re still not back to what they’d expect to see for the summer.”
Community Response
Stewart said most businesses in the community were spared from being burned to the ground but are still struggling to reopen and stay viable. “It’s less of a rebuilding issue and more of a question of making sure that they’ve been able to survive,” he said. The businesses neighboring the Country Kitchen in the strip mall along PCH have all had to adapt to the aftermath of the fire. Even the view from the parking lot is different, with vast stretches of the ocean now visible where homes had previously stood.
Local Business Owners’ Perspective
Carter Crary, co-owner of scuba shop Malibu Divers, poses for a portrait shortly after his business reopened. The scuba shop Malibu Divers officially reopened May 23, the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom reopened PCH. Co-owner Carter Crary came into the shop every day while the road was still closed, serving an occasional customer. Business was down about 90% for more than four months. “There’s been a definite change since the highway reopened,” he said. “We are not yet where we should be for this time of year, but we’re on a trajectory that has us heading in the right direction.”
Looking to the Future
Malibu Divers doesn’t have business interruption insurance but was able to offset some of the losses caused by the fire with a Small Business Assn. emergency loan. Crary estimated his business has lost out on $150,000 in revenue since January. The shop earns between $500,000 and $1 million in a normal year. Malibu’s scenic beaches, now contaminated with heavy metals and debris from the wildfire, usually attract customers to Roxanne Jensen’s souvenir shop, Blue Malibu, located a few doors down from Malibu Divers. “It’s been very slow because people don’t know we’re open,” Jensen said. “We have to be patient. As long as the ocean is there, the customers will come back.”
Conclusion
Though the Country Kitchen employees had to stay home with no pay for months, they are back now, serving chili cheese fries, omelets, and buffalo burgers. “People love this place,” Ruiz said, standing in front of the spot where he has worked most of his life. “We had customers calling who wanted to come in, but for a long time they weren’t able to.” The community is hopeful that next summer will be normal, and businesses will be back to what they were before the fire.
FAQs
Q: What was the extent of the damage caused by the Palisades fire?
A: The Palisades fire charred more than 23,000 acres and destroyed more than 6,000 structures, with nearly 800 structures lost in Malibu.
Q: How have businesses in Malibu been affected by the fire?
A: Businesses in Malibu have been significantly affected, with many experiencing a decline in sales and some still closed due to damage.
Q: What support have businesses received to help them recover?
A: Some businesses have received support through Small Business Assn. emergency loans, while others have had to rely on their own resources to recover.
Q: What is the outlook for the future of businesses in Malibu?
A: The community is hopeful that next summer will be normal, and businesses will be back to what they were before the fire, but it may take time for the area to fully recover.
