It’s not the same as it was before.
Jesus Gomez was describing the reopening of Good Neighbor Bar in the West Altadena Business District nearly two months after the Eaton firestorm.
The 100-person capacity, chic watering hole is still standing. The Brazilian marble bartop is still gleaming. The backlight on dozens of bottles of spirits still beckon.
But, will people still come?
That’s the question on the minds of dozens of Altadena business owners as they make the decision to reopen or to close up shop.
Dozens of their fellow businesses didn’t have that choice on Jan. 7 when the inferno destroyed their livelihood. About 153 of the 9,000 total structures lost to the Eaton fire were nonresidential, commercial properties, according to Los Angeles County spokesperson Alexia Vartanian.
But a few dozen commercial properties – retailers, restaurants and bars – like Good Neighbor – were spared. And they’re making a go of it.
They’re reopening to a heart-heavy community. Employees are eager to return to work and owners are desperate to regain income lost during the first two months of the year.
Good Neighbor Bar, only open since October, is just one of dozens of surviving businesses that has felt the impact of losing customers.
“It’s been a little bit different,” said Gomez, bar manager. “We definitely miss our Altadena neighbors.”
Indeed, the neighborhood watering hole – as well as dozens of other surviving businesses – are without neighbors.
Tens of thousands of neighbors no longer live or work in Altadena.
In the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 7 disaster, there were approximately 200,000 residents and workers displaced by the inferno, according to LA County spokesperson Elizabeth Marcellino.
Business owners and advocates are working to get the word out to nearby communities: They are open and they need customers.
“We need public awareness so people know that ‘Hey, that place is open,’” said Shawn Shakhmalian, owner/manager of Nancy’s Greek Cafe.
Most of Nancy’s customers, said Shakmalian, lived near the cafe and bakery on Altadena Drive. His business is high on Lake Avenue, just north of an area hit hard by the wildfire.
“Our customers were mostly JPL employees and CalTech people who lost their homes,” Shakmalian said. “Now they are living in AirBnB’s in other cities.”
Nancy’s Greek Cafe – serving what Shakmalian calls traditional “ya ya food” (casual Greek for grandmother) – opened after a three-week period of extensive smoke remediation.
But the key reason for reopening, he said, wasn’t just from an economic point of view.
“It was more sentimental and passion and feeling for the community,” Shakmalian said. “There is nothing left in the area, so people need food.”
Besides, he added, many of his employees lost homes or had smoke damage. It’s his goal, he said, to help them get on their feet again.
“We had to take care of our people, so that’s what we did,” Shakmalian said.
Altadena business owners are making do in a variety of ways. Some are relying on answering services to page them when a customer has a job. Some are liquidating inventory in anticipation of eventually closing up shop entirely. Some are branching out into new avenues like catering for large events.
But, they all agree. They need people to come spend money.
And, business leader Judy Matthews, president of the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, is opening her board meetings to the community as well as spearheading webinars and partnerships with an aim to help and heal.
An ACOC board meeting on March 4 at 9:30 a.m., for example, will feature Col. Eric Swenson from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others leading in the recovery effort. The streaming link will be available two days before the event at altadenachamber.org.
Matthews, a five-year veteran of the ACOC, said she is doing her best to “build bridges” with neighboring communities such as La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta and Glendale to entice those residents to drive up the 210 freeway and spend money in fire-ravaged Altadena.
The initiative, said Matthews, is called “Shop Local in Altadena.”
It will be tough for a reopened gift shop or restaurant to recover from the fires, Matthews said, as so many Altadena household members are now living elsewhere. Matthews herself is recovering from smoke and electrical damage to her Altadena home, she said, and has been living in a hotel for a month.
Collaboration is important, Matthews said.
“We are all in this together,” she said. “It takes a village to make the result happen and we are that village.”
Immediate relief is available to businesses struggling due to the wildfire through the LA Region Small Business and Worker Relief Funds. Grants ranging from $2000 to $25,000 are awarded to qualified small businesses and nonprofits. Grants for qualified workers are up to $2,000. The deadline to apply through opportunity.lacounty.gov/small-business-worker-relief-funds is March 2.
Meanwhile, at Good Neighbor Bar, a visitor asks where the textured black walls are from?
The three-dimensional wall coverings are sculpted from slices of found furniture from Altadena roadsides.
Perhaps the history of this town can be rescripted as businesses reopen and residents rebuild.
But for now, Altadena needs neighbors from surrounding areas to frequent what remains.
Here’s an alphabetical list of businesses that are still open or have reopened after the Eaton fire:
-Armen Market, 1873 N. Allen, Pasadena, Small Armenian market with fresh produce and a variety of international items.
*Open Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
*Contact: 626-794-2999
-Burrito Express, 1597 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena. Serving up classic bean and cheese burritos for more than three decades.
*Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 8:15 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday 1 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Closed Sundays.
*Contact: 626-798-0844.
-Club 1881, 1881 E. Washington, Pasadena. Adult club with jazz and open mic nights. No kitchen, but outside food is permitted.
*Open daily from 4pm to midnight
*Contact: @pasadena1881 on Instagram
-Connal’s, 1505 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena. Classic diner serving burgers, sandwiches, shakes.
*Open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
*Contact: 626-794-5018.
-Crescent Yoga, 2230 Lincoln Ave., Altadena. Studio with adult classes. They also spearheaded a scholarship program for their students impacted by the fire.
*Open most days with varying schedules.
*Contact: Info@crescentyoga.la, Phone: 626-922-3467
-Ferranzanni’s Pasta and Market, 1976 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena. Italian market with fresh pasta, dried pasta, sandwiches and ices.
*Open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
*Contact: 626-714-7005
-Good Neighbor Bar, 2311 Lincoln Ave., Altadena. Small watering hole with a sophisticated but accessible vibe and (of course) neighborly attitude. The morning after the fire, owner Randy Clement kept people informed of their homes’ status.
*Open 5 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays through Thursdays; 5 p.m. to midnight Friday; 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday; 4 p.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
*Contact: 626-704-0164 or @goodneighboraltadena on Instagram
–Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, 2270 Lake Ave. Altadena. Discount chain that offers a variety of fresh produce, meats and grocery items.
*Open Sunday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
*Contact: 626-314-2700
-High Stakes Barbershop, 1868 N Allen, Pasadena. Traditional men’s barbershop.
*Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Tuesdays and Sundays.
*Contact: 626-765-6071
-HomeState, 1992 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena. Tex-Mex spot serving breakfast tacos, strong coffee and housemade flour tortillas
*Open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
*Contact: @HomeState on Instagram
-Millie’s Cafe, 1399 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena. Fresh home cooking with breakfast and lunch all day, including vegan offerings.
*Open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
*Contact: 626-486-2407
-Ms. Dragon Print & Copy, 873 E. Mariposa St., Altadena. Local print shop known for excellent customer service. Leave a message for the owner and she will race back to the shop if you have an urgent order.
*Open daily with varied hours.
*Contact: 626-798-0127
Nancy’s Greek Cafe, 763 E. Altadena Dr., Altadena. Authentic, homestyle Greek food and bakery
*Open Tuesday to Thursday noon until 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday noon to 7 p.m.
*Contact: 626-794-0050
-Nuccio’s Nursery, 3555 Chaney Trail, Altadena. Family-owned nursery known for unusual varieties of azaleas and camellias.
*Open Monday, Tuesday, Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
*Contact: 626-794-3383
–Octavia’s Bookshelf, 1353 North Hill Ave., Pasadena. Black-owned bookstore featuring BIPOC authors. It became a resource for locals in the immediate aftermath of the fires.
*Open Tues to Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Closed Monday
*Contact: 626-421-6222
-Perry’s Joint, 2051 N. Lincoln Ave., Pasadena. Known for their massive deli sandwiches
*Open Monday through Friday 11a.m to 4pm, Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Closed Sunday.
*Contact: 626-798-4700
-Prime Pizza, 1900 Allen Ave., Altadena. Classic pizza joint that has sponsored community dinners in the days following the fires.
*Open Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10.p.m.
* Contact: 626-714-1774.
-Rio Meat Market, 2029 N. Fair Oaks, Pasadena. Butcher with value meats, Mexican sodas as well as an onsite Mexican cafe that cooks to order.
*Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
*Contact: 626-460-8754.
-Tacos Don Pillo, 2291 Lincoln Ave., Altadena. With the motto “No tacos, no life,” the spot serves value-priced, street-style tacos as well as tortas, burritos and nachos.
*Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
*Contact: 626-345-5309
-Websters pharmacy, 2333 South Lake. Nearly century-old pharmacy with gift items.
*Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Closed on Sunday.
*Contact: 626-797-1163
-West Altadena Wine and Spirits, 2311 Lincoln Ave., Altadena. Owned by the proprietors of Good Neighbor Bar next door, the shop and bar offer wine tastings on Thursdays, 5 to 8 p.m. Free, same-day delivery for area zip codes. .
*Open Tuesday to Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
*Contact: 626-765-9334
Have a business that is reopening? We’ll add it to the list. Email City Editor Ryan Carter at rcarter@scng.com.
Lisa Jacobs is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. Contact her at Lisannwrites@gmail.com.