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Eaton Fire impacting restaurants in California

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ALTADENA, Calif. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Many restaurants that survived the Eaton Fire hope they can survive the aftermath, but they're wondering how do they stay open when thousands of their customers have been forced from their homes.

One of the owners, Claude Beltran, has been crafting memorable meals at his restaurant, Bacchus Kitchen in Pasadena, for a decade, but it's been really slow going since the Eaton Fire.

"First week was pretty empty. We couldn't open for three days because of water contamination. That was a big impact and we got that straightened out, but still people weren't really coming," Beltran said.

It's upsetting, but understandable as so many of the people they know have lost homes.

"We have a pretty elite jazz program here and one of our dear friends John Clayton, he's a Grammy Award-winning bassist, lost his house, lost his bass," said Brandon Firla, co-owner of Bacchus Kitchen.

Many of the restaurants that survived the fire are worried about how long it will take for business to pick up when so much needs to be re-built.

"Cause it's gonna take a long time for a neighborhood restaurant when half your neighborhood is gone," Firla expressed.

"That thought is a source of real anxiety, you know. Kind of understanding how this is going to be a lengthy process getting folks back on their feet," said Sean Kim, General Manager of Woon Kitchen.

Woon Kitchen just opened their second location in Pasadena a week before the Eaton Fire. Within days they had a weeklong closure, and now they're rallying around one of their prep cooks who lost her home.

"You know, we're just trying to be here to offer a place of respite while folks are dealing with some of the toughest times in their lives," Kim said.

As storefronts near the burn area open back up and customers start trickling in, many wonder if people even know what's still standing here.

"We're here for people to sit and have a glass of wine and talk and enjoy, and have a little refuge from the craziness," Beltran remarked.

Article Topic Follows: California News

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Dillon Fuhrman

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