LA Cha Cha Chá, a popular Los Angeles restaurant, will close this fall due to financial difficulties stemming from federal ICE raids and nearby protests. Owner Alejandro Marín indicated that customer traffic had dramatically dropped, making it unsustainable to continue operations. The nearby protests created an atmosphere that discouraged patrons from visiting. Other restaurants from the same group will continue operating, but LA Cha Cha Chá's situation deteriorated to the point of no return, leading to the imminent closure within a few months.
Owner Alejandro Marín confirmed the sudden decision to close one of the Arts District's most prominent restaurants in a phone call last week, blaming federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, subsequent protests, deployment of National Guard and U.S. Marines, and Mayor Karen Bass's curfew.
Marín wasn't against the protests, but the activity just a mile away from the Arts District restaurantled to a sudden drop in customers who have not returned.
On July 29, it became apparent to Marín that the mathematical reality of the situation was undeniable, each day's losses inching the business towards the point of no return.
Executive chef Paco Morán noted, "A few days after everything started, we closed because no one was coming in and things were getting out of hand."
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