Los Angeles Rallied Around Dulan’s on Crenshaw, but the Restaurant Isn’t Out of the Woods Yet | Eater LA

"A South Los Angeles soul food mainstay for 33 years, this essential neighborhood restaurant serves classics like smothered pork chops, fried chicken, collard greens, and candied yams. It closed in 2021 for a two-year renovation and reopened in late 2023 with a larger dining room, multiple kitchens, and two patios that have become a hit with families and the Sunday post-church crowd; local organizations even host events on the rear patio. Redevelopment along the Crenshaw Corridor shrank street parking for a clientele that includes many seniors, and high-interest loans for the remodel and a planned parking lot have strained finances, prompting a late-August fundraiser. The response has been robust: visitors have come from Bakersfield, Santa Clarita, and Palmdale, chef Roy Choi stopped by, business is up more than 40 percent, sales have surpassed projections, and three new employees have been hired, with guests even arriving from Russia and Argentina and a party of 100 on the books. The fundraiser remains open with $21,273.34 raised toward a $500,000 goal as loan terms are renegotiated, even as operations expand through heat-and-serve meals at Vallarta Supermarket and a nearby warehouse for future production and training. Owner Gregory Dulan, a 2023 James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur nominee, remains optimistic about the restaurant’s future amid current challenges." - Mona Holmes