Two Street Vendor Advocates Arrested at Huntington Park City Council Meeting

Edin Alex Enamorado and Fernando “Wicked” Lopez, two street vendor advocates protesting police treatment of street vendors in Huntington Park, were forcibly removed and arrested on unknown charges after a city council meeting on the evening of July 18. They were later released around midnight.

While Senate Bill 972, which is meant to modernize regulations around sidewalk food vending, went into effect this year, Los Angeles’s street food vendors still face a range of issues that prevent them from running their businesses seamlessly. Along with Enamorado and Lopez, several street vendors spoke out at the city council meeting about recent negative interactions they’ve had with police, including harassment, confiscation of equipment, and citation.

Journalist Marina Peña covered the Huntington Park city council meeting in an article for LA Public Press, noting that many of the vendors who spoke out also had valid permits that allowed them to vend, but that the authorities continued to harass them.

In-N-Out Burger breaks its silence

An internal memo from In-N-Out Burger leaked earlier this week revealed a new policy that prevented workers in five states from wearing masks at work unless they provided a medical note. On July 20, In-N-Out Burger responded to SF Gate’s requests for a comment with a statement from the California-based chain’s chief operating officer Denny Warnick. The statement reads, “At In-N-Out Burger, we’ve communicated with our smiles since 1948, and a smiling Associate helps to set a warm and inviting atmosphere in our stores. [...] We believe that wearing a mask literally adds a barrier to communication — much of which is nonverbal — and promotes a more distant and disconnected environment.” The new policy goes into effect on August 14 in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Utah.

A Michelin-starred omakase speakeasy will pop up in Beverly Hills

Michelin-starred Sushi by Scratch Restaurants from husband-and-wife duo Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee will be popping up at the Beverly Wilshire beginning August 4, open to both hotel guests and the public through October 4. Diners will be seated on chef counter seats, capped at groups of 12 with three seatings per night. Seats are $165 per person and reservations are now live on Tock.

Pickleball and booze-free drinks

Venice’s booze-free bar and bottle shop New Bar is hosting a pickleball tournament on July 29 in partnership with pro player and coach Matt Manasee. The ticketed event also commemorates the bar’s first birthday, and folks are invited to attend as players or spectators. There will be music, small bites, an open bar, and more.

Wake and Late opens in Pasadena

Downtown LA breakfast burrito spot Wake and Late is expanding to more locations this year, including a new Pasadena outpost that will have a soft launch event on Monday, July 24, from 8 a.m. to noon at 525 E Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena. At this soft launch, folks can get one free breakfast burrito and beverage. When the spot officially opens on Thursday, July 27, hours will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday through Monday, with plans to extend days of service down the line.

Andrea D’Agosto