Homelessness is increasingly affecting the restaurant industry in Los Angeles Koreatown, with a growing number of establishments reporting damages from theft, disturbances, and even business closures.
On July 28, Gogo’s Tacos, a popular taco restaurant near Koreatown, closed its doors. “Due to safety concerns in the community, we are no longer able to protect the safety of our employees,” owner Brittney Valles said on the restaurant’s Instagram post, adding, “We are closing our doors after three years of business.” Residents expressed their disappointment in the comments, with Valles specifically citing homelessness as the safety issue.
In October of last year, Valles sent an email to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ office stating that “aggressive homeless individuals have been loitering around the restaurant, making customers feel uncomfortable coming in and threatening the safety of our staff.” However, the complaints did not improve the situation.
When the Korea Daily visited the restaurant on July 19, there were homeless people around Gogo’s Tacos, as Valles claimed. Three weeks after the restaurant’s closure, there were still three to four homeless people walking around the area, and a homeless encampment a block away from the restaurant, with four to five homeless people living there.
Korean American business owners have also reported various cases of damage. Restaurants and cafes in Koreatown are experiencing problems with odors, drugs, and theft from the homeless.
The Korea Daily spoke with Koreatown restaurant owners, and they were quick to mention the smell as the first problem. “When a homeless person comes in and uses the restroom, many times the restroom becomes dirty,” said Sam Jung, the owner of Jjamppong Zizon LA. “Then a lot of customers complain about the smell and hygiene eventually.”
Some homeless people use drugs in the store. Henry Soh, an assistant manager at Egg Tuck, a sandwich shop, said, “Sometimes homeless people sit outside at the patio where customers are eating and then do drugs there.” Seungho Choi of Cafe Spot added, “A homeless person once stuck a syringe in his body and used drugs in front of the cafe during busy hours.”
Homelessness is also causing property damage. “Homeless people often come into our coffee shop and steal tip jars and food items,” said Jihoon Song, manager of Alchemist Coffee at Hobart Boulevard. ”They have also stolen clothes that we sell, and we had to change the display.”
Business owners are also concerned about homeless people’s violent behavior. “A lot of homeless people are not in their right minds,” Song said, adding, ”It’s hard to deal with them because they get easily heated and act out.”
Many restaurant and coffee shop owners in Koreatown are complaining about the problem of homelessness. However, the bigger challenge is that the police and homeless management authorities are not taking appropriate action or responding to the reports promptly enough.
“I’ve called the police and 311, the city’s complaint line, but nothing really worked,” said a manager of BCD Tofu House at Wilshire. Song added, “I’ve called the police many times, but it’s already late most of the time when they arrive.”
The frustration from homelessness is not just limited to the restaurant industry. Residential areas are also facing problems with homelessness. On July 14, a large fire, suspected to have been set by a homeless person, broke out in Koreatown, endangering surrounding businesses and residential areas. Residents are calling for an urgent discussion among homeless management authorities and a solid plan to solve the homeless problem in Koreatown.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM, HOONSIK WOO [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
