Michelin-recognized and hailed by the LA Times and New York Times, Filipino restaurant Spoon & Pork now finds itself in a battle just to keep the lights on. And they’re not alone, according to a new report from NBC 4 News.
Don’t miss
- I’m 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don’t panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast)
- Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in ‘great wealth’. How to get in now
- Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
When Jay Tugas and Raymond Yaptinchay launched Spoon & Pork out of a food truck in 2017, they weren’t just serving modern Filipino fare, they were introducing a culture.
“When people enjoy the food, it touches our heart,” Tugas told the news station. “Because that’s what we wanted to do, we wanted to introduce our dishes, our culture, to everyone.”
By 2020, they had grown to two brick-and-mortar restaurants, one in Silver Lake, the other in Sawtelle Japantown. The rave reviews were rolling in.
But now?
“It’s really tough, it’s really hard,” Tugas said. “I had to let go of all my servers, and my kitchen staff. So now it’s just me and my business partner Raymond.”
‘What is going on?’
Despite glowing 4-star reviews on Yelp and Google, Spoon & Pork is struggling to keep the lights on.
In a social media clip, Tugas showed an empty dining room.
“Sometimes it’s just like, you know, it leaves my brain blank,” Tugas said. “Like what is going on?”
“At the end of the day, it’s more important for me to have people coming in than having the reviews,” he added.
According to the report, Spoon & Pork’s story echoes what many LA restaurant owners are experiencing. Recent closures are affecting everyone from buzzy newcomers to established favorites.
“Everything’s expensive, number one,” Tugas explains, “I think the taxes here are atrocious, we pay almost 30% after every sale. It’s just crazy. Labor’s very expensive.”
Even for a Michelin-recognized kitchen, the math no longer adds up.
Tugas believes the restaurant industry never truly recovered from COVID’s economic wreckage.
“We were like, 2020 is going to be awesome,” he recalls with tears in his eyes, “And then, come March, everything shuts down. So we’ve been really battling from that time, from the day we opened until now. It was a constant battle.”
With government relief gone, prices rising, and consumer spending shrinking, many restaurants are hanging by a thread.
“This one is not going to last,” Tugas says, “And I’m working hard for the other one to stay open as well.”
Read more: You don’t have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here’s how
Dining scene in trouble
America’s once-booming dining scene appears to be in trouble.
Restaurants may be facing their worst financial squeeze since the pandemic with skyrocketing food and labor costs and a sharp decline in consumer spending.
According to a KPMG survey, Americans plan to spend 7% less per month at restaurants this summer compared to fall 2024.
“Nearly 70% say they’re eating at home more often than last year, and 85% cite budget constraints as the top reason,” says the report. Fast food visits are up, while casual dining is down.
Many chain restaurants are closing down locations. For example, TGI Fridays filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, reducing its U.S. locations to 85.
Red Lobster, Hooters, Subway, Applebee’s, Mod Pizza, and Buffalo Wild Wings have also scaled back significantly, closing dozens, sometimes hundreds, of units.
Something contributing to the trouble may be the shift from in-person dining to delivery. An aftereffect of the pandemic is that consumers are more comfortable with getting takeout or delivery. Michael Kaufman from Harvard Business School told The Guardian that three-quarters of the restaurant traffic across the country is off-premises.
“The majority of restaurant operators across all segments — including 90% of fine dining operators and 87% of casual dining operators — say building on-premises business is more important for their success than greater off-premises business,” says the National Restaurant Association.
A Bank of America 2025 forecast says digital proficiency will continue to be a key differentiator. It says, “While not yet common, automation and robotics are set to play a more significant role in the industry.”
What to read next
- Financial aid only funds about 27% of US college expenses — but savvy parents are using this 3-minute move to cover 100% of those costs
- Here are 5 ‘must have’ items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
- How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you’ll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement
- This is how American car dealers use the ‘4-square method’ to make big profits off you — and how you can ensure you pay a fair price for all your vehicle costs
Money doesn’t have to be complicated — sign up for the free Moneywise newsletter for actionable finance tips and news you can use. Join now.
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
