Doughboys Saga Redux: This Red Velvet Cake Has Many Layers

Dough no more. [somah, Flickr]

Just as you finished mopping up the mounds of used Kleenex from mourning the teary tale of Doughboys and its untimely demise, we have the inevitable twist. Frank Waldman's weepy letter last week didn't tell the whole story, claims a former neighborhood council member on our astute sibling blog Curbed LA:

It is sad that Frank was not able to comply with all of the Building and Safety and planning regulations that would have allowed him to continue doing business in the City of Los Angeles. But, he was given citations over and over again, and it got to the point where the City Attorney was involved. Doughboys on Third did not have the code required parking; the parking spaces they did have were taken up by an inoperable van and storage. They used an adjacent duplex owner's garage for illegal storage. They did not apply for a change of use for the expanded portion of their business from retail to restaurant, because that would have meant they needed more parking; therefore, more than half of their seats were illegal. They did not have their own bathroom. There are plenty of restaurants along Third Street (El Carmen, Little Door, etc.) who attempt to comply with regulations, and they are on good terms with the adjacent neighbors. Businesses that expand or change use illegally make it more difficult for the other businesses to succeed.