The Malibu Country Mart, the boutique mall which is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, is home to some of Malibu’s most popular shopping and dining spots. Restaurants within the shopping center are facing challenges after the L.A. County fires that began in December.
As road closures on PCH prevent the general public from entering Malibu, longer commutes and shorter available hours pose detrimental challenges to businesses’ finances and work flow, Taverna Tony server Georgi Topovic said.
“It’s been very tough because PCH is closed and the Malibu Canyon is closed,” Topovic said. “We’re running with a skeleton crew right now, but trying to stay open so the locals can get their food.”
At the time of the interview with Topovic, city officials set temporal road closures in Malibu Canyon as a response to the National Weather Service‘s flooding and debris flow watch. As of March 17, Malibu Canyon is open.
As Malibu starts to work back toward normalcy, the future of its restaurants and shops is still undetermined.
Taverna Tony
It has not been an easy road for any of the businesses in the Malibu Country Mart, and Taverna Tony, Malibu’s Greek dining spot, is no exception.
The restaurant is going through a period of uncertainty as they wait out Malibu’s fire recovery process that left a big dent on visitor and customer pace, said Olivia Sisino, Taverna Tony’s main host.
“It’s like a ghost town,” Sisino said. “Every day I come here, it’s super, super slow.”
Sisino said residents who come in and see the changes are now realizing the crisis that Malibu’s businesses are facing.
“A lot of our customers that come in have realized that Malibu needs support and they need to keep coming,” Sisino said. “I don’t think a lot of people know how bad it is.”
Shifts for workers at Taverna Tony have been reduced, and many others let go entirely.
“I’ve worked here for two years, but this is the only time that hours have actually been reduced,” Sisino said.
Although times have changed, Malibu’s response to natural disasters stays consistent. The post-fire pace is reminiscent of a post-pandemic Malibu, Topovic said.
“All the restaurants closed in one day,” Topovic said about the COVID-19 restrictions that hit Malibu in 2020. “They told us it may take a long time to reopen.”
Wildfires are not unfamiliar in Malibu; the Woolsey Fire in 2018, the Franklin Fire in December and the January Palisades Fire are proof that in just a few years, Malibu has seen fire strike its streets, beaches and businesses, leaving locals to constantly experience their city’s rebuilding.
“We’re a beach community— we shut down sometimes,” Topovic said. “I’ve been through eight fires since 2001 when I moved here. So sometimes, you’re broke.”
Irv’s Burgers
Shift modifications on workers’ schedules come as result of the businesses’ response to the lack of customers said Tina Devare, a shift lead at Irv’s Burgers.
“Before the fires, we were always open from 11 [a.m.] to 9 [p.m.],” Devare said. “After the fires happened, a lot of us were out of a job for three weeks until we had to reopen up.”
Not only has the change in opening and closing hours posed challenges for the community’s businesses, but also for workers personally.
“Unfortunately, because of the fires, my house burned down,” Devare said. “I am working and trying to save some money to get new stuff.”
Residents have also had to adjust to the modified schedules of their favorite Malibu businesses.
“I used to go to Irv’s all the time,” sophomore Lala Freeman said. “After my late classes, I’d crave fries or a milkshake, but since their closing time changed, I never get there on time.”
The decreased staffing has also increased the workload for the people on-shift, Devare said.
“So many people can’t come to work,” Devare said. “Now it’s like two people working a shift instead of like our normal three or four.”
Working for a local business has a domino effect, as one small setback can affect the entire productivity for the day, Devare said.
“Now it takes me an hour to get to work,” Devare said. “With the extra hour wait, we take longer to open, set everything up, do cash and our sales have been down.”
Devare said marketing has become an essential strategy for attracting customers and working back toward business as usual.
“Whoever’s doing that cash is our responsibility to sell more,” Devare said. “We have to get promotions out there.”
As businesses navigate the challenging times ahead, opening times are returning to their normal operating hours. Taverna Tony is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Irv’s Burgers is open from 9 a.m to 9 p.m.
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Contact Karla Suzuki via email: karla.suzuki@pepperdine.edu
