It's a promising sound: The sizzle means they're still in business.
"It's super uncertain and it's scary," Wesley Avila, owner and chef of Guerilla Tacos in Boyle Heights, said.
On Monday, Avila had to furlough most of his staff. The dining room is empty because of the city's ban on dining in. But Tuesday, Avila said he actually had to call some of his employees back.
"Total now is 12 of us," the restaurant owner said. "It was four, then seven or eight."
Avila said the rebound is all because he came up with what he calls a "taco survival kit." In the kit, $150 gets you 10 pounds of meat, tortillas, rice, beans, salsas and 30 eggs.
"It breaks down to about $2.50 a taco," Avila said. Also included in the $150 survival kit are four rolls of toilet paper, of course.
"It's some of my favorite tacos in the city, and the fact that I can eat them all week is pretty cool," said Nate Grein, a customer who bought two kits Wednesday morning.
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Grein added, "And I'm really worried that after this is all over, all my favorite spots will be closed and that's the new reality."
Chris Simms, Lazy Dog restaurants CEO and founder, said, "Our communities are really hurting and we're hurting."
Simms added, "My hope is that the government will allow us to operate so we can feed our communities. The thought of having restaurants all shut down is a little concerning."
Lazy Dog is now offering $25 "friends and family" meals, enough food to feed a family of five. For every package purchased, another is given to a family in need. The new reality in California is here, but what comes next is still anyone's guess.
Simms said, "It's going to be a new normal after this, and we have to figure that out, too."
