‘It’s really bad.’ Downtown SLO restaurants halt outdoor dining due to wildfire smoke
Multiple restaurants in downtown San Luis Obispo closed for outdoor dining Wednesday and Thursday due to smoky conditions caused by area wildfires, while some stores closed their doors entirely.
Though many eateries remained open for streetside dining, Kin Coffee Bar, Village Burger, Mother’s Tavern, Mint + Craft, Novo and Luna Red were among the downtown businesses that shut down outdoor dining.
HumanKind Fair Trade posted a sign Wednesday on its doors saying it was closed for in-store business due to the “heat and smoke,” directing customers to online shopping options. The store, which sells clothing, accessories and home goods, announced a “Hot and Smoky Flash Sale” via email offering “20% everything online” through Thursday.
Starting early Wednesday morning, smoke from several fires burning in Monterey County could be seen in San Luis Obispo County.
The River Fire east of Salinas has burned more than 33,000 acres, while the Carmel Fire just south of Carmel has burned more than 4,200 acres.
Meanwhile, the Dolan Fire near Big Sur has burned more than 2,500 acres.
“It’s really bad,” said Julian Contreras, owner of Kin Coffee Bar, on Wednesday. “I actually noticed it at 3 a.m. this morning. It woke me up. By the time I woke up at 5 a.m. to come bake, it was very smoky and hazy. I thought there was a fire outside of my house...
“So, right away, we made a post to ask the public what they thought was safe.”
Contreras said the business, after hearing the feedback, made the decision to close its outdoor area for service to help keep people safe and healthy. But the coffee shop is open for takeout orders, he added.
Contreras said he replaced air filters and has recirculated air conditioning to keep people comfortable inside.
“We’re doing this by the day,” Contreras said, adding that he’s also dealing with COVID-19 concerns on a daily basis.. “This just puts a lot of pressure on us to figure out a way to makes things safe. I think this is a very testing time. ... I’m just waiting to see what else happens to adapt to that as well.”
Contreras kept outdoor service off limits Thursday as well.
SLO restaurant group closes due to air quality
Jai Covey, the general manager of a group of family-owned restaurants in downtown San Luis Obispo, said he was concerned with employees and customers getting sick from the smoke.
He said that the smoky smell and clouds reminded him of a campfire, and opted to close three of their SLO businesses Thursday after offering takeout Wednesday.
“I don’t want employees to get sick,” said Covey, whose family owns Luna Red, Novo and Mint + Craft. “We’ll wait and watch and pay attention to what the fire department is saying. But we’re hearing it’s not good to be outside right now.”
Covey’s family also owns Robin’s Restaurant in Cambria, which was open Wednesday for delivery and takeout.
On Thursday, the restaurant posted on Facebook: “Our garden is open for dine-in, and we’re offering takeout as well today ... been thinking of our frontliners and firefighters a lot more during these times.”
As of midday Thursday, several San Luis Obispo businesses remained open for outdoor dining along stretches of Higuera and Monterey streets, including Firestone Grill, Woodstock’s Pizza, Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen and Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant.
This story was originally published August 19, 2020 at 4:40 PM.
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