July 17, 2026
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Over a Third of California Restaurants Unable to Pay Rent

350,000 restaurant jobs remain unfilled

By Dolores Quintana

Over a third of California restaurants are unable to pay rent while 350,000 jobs in the industry remain unfilled, according to a recent report. 

As reported by NBC Los Angeles, 37% of restaurants reopening in California are unable to pay their rents and 350,000 restaurant jobs remain unfilled. Like government officials, restaurant owners assumed that ending enhanced unemployment benefits would force both restaurant workers to return and result in a glut of new workers for their businesses, but it hasn’t. 

It might have something to do with dissatisfaction among restaurant workers and the fact that cooks in restaurants had the highest rate of mortality among workers during the pandemic. 

As reported by NBC Los Angeles, Fromin’s Restaurant and Deli in Santa Monica still can’t fill all of its open positions even after four months. Bruce Stein, Fromin’s general manager, was quoted by NBC Los Angeles as saying, “Everyone’s in the same boat,” said Bruce Stein, the general manager of Fromin’s. ‘We’re all trying to find people. You can’t walk past a restaurant without seeing a help wanted sign.” 

Federally funded assistance to restaurants has also ended, so the California Restaurant Association is lobbying Congress to send more federal relief.

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Chef Diego Argoti’s Estrano dish, Grilled Duck Legs with peaches, peppers, pickled onions, and mint. Photo Credit: Dolores Quintana.

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