SoCal Restaurants Struggle To Adapt As Governor Rolls Back Reopening

MONTROSE (CBSLA) -- The Cracking Crab in Montrose was preparing for a busy 4th of July weekend. On Thursday night, it was hard to ignore that the tables remained empty once again.

A sign that reads "now open for dine in" has been tucked away, and owner Kevin says he's not sure how much longer he can run a business this way.

"You don't get the true dining experience," he said of take out, adding "and with things like seafood, I mean, it's a lot harder to take it home as well."

Gov. Newsom's order to shut down indoor dining has left many businesses scrambling. The Cracking Crab doesn't have outdoor seating, so they will have to stick to takeout orders — but it isn't enough to keep them afloat.

Nearby, some restaurants did invest in makeshift outdoor patios, in an effort to turn at least a few tables a day.

Over at Kebab Daddy, they had to make the difficult decision on Thursday to raise the prices on meat entrees by 7%.

"The meat costs are out of this world," said owner Jaina Orphali. "Because of that its very difficult to even get supplies."

Although they have a walk-up counter, Orphali said they aren't seeing many customers. She feels the rollback on reopening is making people hesitant to come out at all.

"Everybody kind of has a fear in them," she said.  "I still see it. It's better than it was two months ago, but we notice it very much."

Despite an uncertain future, both businesses say they'll continue to follow the rules so that their communities stay safe.

"We're all in this together," Orphali said. "You help me. I help you. That's how it goes."