L.A. Taco Furloughs Staff, Asks for New Subscribers to Survive | Eater LA

"A beloved Los Angeles independent journalism outlet, L.A. Taco is facing severe financial strain that has led to the furlough of three full-time staff members—Janette Villafana, Hadley Tomicki, and Lexis-Olivier Ray—effective April 15, while editor Javier Cabral will remain for two weeks to continue site operations. The publication has seen a drop in paid memberships and sponsorships, which Cabral attributes to changing economic conditions, shifting readership habits, and the rise of AI-generated writing; for the first time it couldn’t secure a sponsor for its annual Taco Madness bracket (an event that would have culminated in an in-person taco showdown and tasting), and that event was ultimately canceled due to rain despite past sponsors including Xbox and Bud Light. As a member-supported outlet, L.A. Taco had about 1,500 members as of April 10, 2024, but needs to reach 5,000 members by April 26 to retain full-time staff; memberships (priced from $5.95 to $19.95 per month) include full article access plus perks such as free tacos from local restaurants via an app, events, and merch at certain tiers. Founded in 2005 by Alex Bloomingdale and Hadley Tomicki to celebrate graffiti, cannabis, and L.A.’s taco scene, the site shifted toward news-first, street-level journalism under Daniel Hernandez (who joined in 2017) and later Javier Cabral; that focus earned it a James Beard Award for Emerging Voice in 2020. Cabral, who shares ownership with founders and others including Memo Torres and Hernandez, is wary of converting the whole outlet into a nonprofit because of potential conflicts of interest with funders, so he is developing “LA Taco Lab,” a nonprofit arm to support emerging writers and accept sponsors, while relying in the short term on memberships and direct donations to keep the newsroom afloat. " - Rebecca Roland