Shake Shack has grown steadily across Southern California since expanding to West Hollywood in 2016. That strategy might’ve proved too ambitious, as the company announced the closure of five LA-area stores, including Culver City, Silver Lake, Koreatown, Bunker Hill, and Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park, reports Nation’s Restaurant News. The Southern California closures are part of nine overall across the company due to lower sales.

The New York-based burger chain recently opened its first Southern California drive-thru in Torrance, signaling a change in its operations strategy from busy urban intersections to more suburban areas. Employees at the closed locations will be offered positions at nearby restaurants, and those who choose not to transfer will get a severance of 60 days’ pay. Shake Shack continues to operate 19 restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties.

The growth of fast-food jobs

In a surprising bit of data, Salon reports that the state of California saw job growth in fast-food restaurants despite the new mandated minimum wage increase from $15.50 to $20 an hour. Since the new minimum wage went into effect in April 2024, the total number of fast-food workers across the state increased from 739,500 to 750,500 as of July 2024. The new law also created a Fast Food Council to advocate for better benefits and working conditions.

Are street hot dogs healthy?

KTLA poses the question many folks might be wondering: Are the bacon-wrapped hot dogs served on the street outside of nightlife venues, sports events, and musical performances safe to eat? From July 2023 to July 2024, the health department received only 83 complaints from illnesses related to unpermitted street food sales, a small number given the likely tens of thousands of transactions made every month across the county.

Texas ‘cue in California

Mona Holmes

Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn recently released a list of the best Texas-style barbecue spots across the country outside of Texas, and four in Southern California made the list. LA’s Moo’s Craft Barbecue ranked number four in the nation and San Juan Capistrano’s Heritage Barbecue landed at number five. Vaughn praised Moo’s, saying that “it’s the closest one can get to eating craft barbecue in Texas,” while Heritage uses California white oak to prepare “stunning brisket.” Barbecue pop-up Priedite in Los Alamos and Ray’s Texas BBQ in Huntington Park, founded by the late Rene Ramirez, both received mentions.

The future of the Viper Room

A new 11-story multi-use building was approved by West Hollywood above the current location of the iconic Viper Room on the Sunset Strip, reports Urbanize LA. The incoming development will have a 90-room hotel, 78 housing spaces (including 16 affordable-rate units); and 28,000 square feet of restaurant, cafe, and bar areas. The longtime music venue co-owned by Johnny Depp and Sal Jenco in the ’90s was a hangout for upstart punk, metal, and alt-rock bands, and notorious for its drug-related incidents. The new development will demolish the current structure and have a nearly 7,000-square-foot area where the Viper Room may reopen.

The second-ever Hot Dog on a Stick closes on the pier

The Redondo Beach pier outpost of Hot Dog on a Stick, which opened in 1962 and was the second-ever stand for the chain, will close in early September. 68-year-old owner Craig Reidt said he was “worn out” and saw the end of summer as a cue to shutter operations, according to the Daily News. The first Hot Dog on a Stick, which sold corn dogs and more in Santa Monica starting in 1946, received a full renovation two years ago.

Praise for Fiorelli Pizza

SF Gate has a writeup on Fiorelli Pizza, where chef Michael Fiorelli serves blistered wood-fired pizzas in Venice inside the Cook’s Garden with his business partner Liz Gutierrez. The ongoing pizza pop-up is now making between 120 and 140 pizzas a day but Fiorelli and Gutierrez aren’t sure what their next steps will be when the weather turns cold.

Qué Bárbaro x Evil Cooks

Qué Bárbaro chef Ray Garcia is collaborating with Alex and Elvia Garcia of Evil Cooks on a $120, seven-course dinner on September 5 at Qué Bárbaro on Level 8 inside the AC/Moxy Hotels. Expect to see Evil Cooks’ famed black octopus al pastor, which was recently featured on PBS’s Rebel Kitchens. Reservations are available on OpenTable.