The lack of traffic for Altadena people is straining businesses trying to recover after the Eton fire that destroyed more than 9,000 homes and businesses in the area in January.
Ron’s barbershop off Lake Avenue is run but business is slow.
“I’ve got some of the workers they need to come down like they’re coming down, and some of my old clients are still coming that they’ve even moved there, so they can still get down here,” said Ron Coleman, owner of Ron’s barbershop.
He said his business has about 12 customers down a day compared to before the Eton fire.
“You survived the fire, but will you survive the economic fire?” he added.
The same story is for the people at the Burrito Express in Pasadena.
Deya Orozco and her husband have owned the place for nearly 20 years.
“One burrito at a time. You know that’s all we need,” she said.
Like others, they intervened after the Eton fire to feed their evacuated neighbors, first responders and workers.
Her nearby house survived the fire, but Altadena’s sister’s house did not.
Reclaiming this community is personal and for now she relies on the smell and taste to invite customers.
“If you love our food, if you love us, someone, yeah, that’s a word of mouth. We’re hanging out. We’re thankful,” she said.
The reality is that there is much more to do.
But restaurant worker Sean Chan looks past what’s not there to welcoming customers
He works at Miya, a Thai restaurant on Lake Avenue.
“We can really use our business because here are some survivors spotted here in the corridors of this little lake,” Chan said.
Eton Fireburn Zone SMEs could be boosted.
The Altadena Disaster Relief Small Business Loan program is now available on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible businesses include cafes, retail stores, and grooming businesses.
The office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Katherine Berger has announced that the application deadline has been extended until June 30th.
So far, the county has reported 47 applications in progress. There are no loans that have not been approved yet.
If approved, it is unclear how long it will take for the company to receive the funds.
Ron has applied and is waiting for a reply.
“Everything would help,” he said.
He is only one of three businesses that spoke to me about applying for a loan at this point.
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