# LA’s restaurant and bar apocalypse as 300-plus spots close this year over red tape and insane bills

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/las-restaurant-and-bar-apocalypse-as-300-plus-spots-close-this-year-over-red-tape-and-insane-bills/
- Published: 2026-11-15T03:22:17+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-15T04:24:46+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/14/business/las-dining-apocalypse-as-300-plus-spots-close-this-year/
- Topics: Culture, Food, World

## Key points

- 301 LA dining spots have closed so far in 2026.
- Closures are up 25% on the whole of 2025.
- Operators point to rising costs and regulatory pressures.

## Summary

At least 301 restaurants, bars and cafés within Los Angeles city limits have closed since the start of 2026, 25% more than the 241 closures recorded during all of 2025. The losses include well-known venues across the city and highlight pressure on the hospitality industry from rising costs, regulation and weaker customer spending.

Operators cite steep insurance increases, higher wages and paid-time-off requirements, alongside rent and other business costs. Employees Only’s managing partner said its liability insurance premium rose 120% from 2021 to 2025, while the bar remained busy but customers spent less. The figures exclude closures elsewhere in Los Angeles County; Crustacean closed its longtime Beverly Hills location, while Sherman Oaks bar Pineapple Hill received a 60-day notice to vacate amid redevelopment.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.