Grizzly Cafe

This California Mountain Restaurant Continues to Feed Small-Town Locals | Eater LA

"A 17-year-old, family-run mountain diner owned by Leo Hordyk and his wife Deb, perched along the Angeles Crest Highway in a small 6,000-foot community that relies heavily on skiers, hikers, campers and weekend tourists. After the owners’ traumatic experience aboard the Ruby Princess and the statewide Safer at Home mandate, the business lost roughly 62% of its sales almost overnight and closed its dining room, but quickly adapted to a contactless pickup system where bagged meals are passed through a front window to waiting cars and placed on an outdoor table. The cafe emphasizes community service—keeping all two dozen employees on reduced hours, prioritizing older locals who can’t get out, and posting daily Instagram updates that name the staff—while still serving comfort-food staples like all-day breakfast, loaded potato skins, sandwiches, burgers and two pork chops for $18. Owning the land and having built the restaurant in 2003 has helped reduce fixed costs, but operating at about a third of previous revenue during an extended shutdown presents an uncertain future despite strong local demand and a history of long weekend brunch waits." - Farley Elliott