After a Two-Month COVID-19 Hiatus, LA’s Historic Pink’s Reopens Today

LA staple restaurant Pink’s Hot Dogs reopens today, ending a nearly two-month-long closure. According to Pink’s co-owner Richard Pink, the temporary shutter was a safety measure for employees and customers as coronavirus infections and deaths began to soar through the recent winter surge.

When Pink’s closed on January 4, LA County was in the midst of overwhelmed emergency rooms while EMTs waited up to six hours to check patients into area hospitals. The situation was dire enough for county officials also imposed a mandatory quarantine on long-distance travelers, and any on-site dining was banned by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Ownership tells Eater that the family-owned iconic business is now comfortable with serving food again and opening the outdoor patio for sit-down dining, but of course with masking, social distancing, and sanitary protocols mandated by the health department.

In other news:

• LA’s semi-annual dineLA begins today. Restaurants like Rossoblu, Poppy & Rose, and Melisse are offering multi-course deals for both lunch and dinner until March 14, and there are options for many restaurants to do on-site dining as well as takeout and delivery via GrubHub.
• Puffy, cream-filled Japanese franchise Beard Papa’s is headed to Pasadena, into the former space of Chef Tony Dim Sum, writes What Now Los Angeles.

• After a decades-long residency on the tip of the Huntington Beach Pier, Ruby’s Diner closed Friday following protracted bankruptcy proceedings. The Orange County Register notes a new owner plans to open a seafood restaurant in its place.
• Is Chrissy Teigen opening her own restaurant in Beverly Hills? She’s certainly been hinting at it, reports LA Magazine.
• Ryan Sweeney, who owns Verdugo Bar and is co-owner of The Blind Donkey, Surly Goat, and Little Bear, could be opening a new market in Glassell Park. It’s still in the beginning phase, reports What Now LA, but an entity named Glassell and General applied for a conditional use permit with off-site alcohol consumption with a new 1,150-square-foot neighborhood market and 508-square-foot take out restaurant.
• Vegan soul food joint VTree popped-up at Yamashiro throughout the pandemic and is just about ready for its brick and mortar closeup in Silver Lake on March 13.

• Hollywood’s Historic Pink’s Hot Dogs Begins Months-Long Closure Due to COVID-19 [ELA]