Palisadian Businesses Ease into Reopening

Beaches, Trails Also Open With Restrictions

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Governor Gavin Newsom announced last week that California would be easing its way into Phase 2, offering businesses like bookstores, music stores, florists and more the chance to reopen for curbside pickup beginning Friday, May 8.

The state continues to encourage physical distancing practices and asks that retail employers implement a plan before reopening “to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workspace,” according to the California Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 General Checklist for Retail Employers.

In-restaurant dining, car washes, shopping malls and some office buildings may also be allowed to reopen in coming weeks if public health officials are able to demonstrate that the spread of the coronavirus has stabilized in their county.

The Palisadian-Post spoke with a couple of recently reopened retailers, checking in about how they have adapted to the changes.

Petit Ami, a baby and children’s clothing store previously located at 15301 Antioch Street, has rebranded and relocated. The new business, KEETAN, named after store-owner Pamela Hayer’s 10-year-old son, can now be found at 1015 Swarthmore Avenue.

“Our lease was up with Petit Ami on Antioch Street, and management informed us that the landlord was not renewing or signing new leases,” Hayer said in an email to the Post. “We have wanted to remodel for some time … We expanded our supply when we started traveling to Paris and New York, to curate a collection of new brands, and felt like we had outgrown our old location.”

Hayer added that when the store had the opportunity to relocate its business with a fresh and bright new aesthetic, it felt like they needed a new name, and Keetan felt right.

KEETAN currently offers curbside pick-up and free delivery.

PaliSkates has also set up a temporary online store, and recently began offering curbside pickup.

And a familiar all-black taqueria recently made its return on Saturday, May 9.

Gracias Señor is back on Sunset Boulevard, with a reduced menu. The taco hot-spot is no longer offering burgers or carne asada fries “to maximize efficiency,” according to a social media post.

“Food trucks were never really mandated to close,” Gracias Señor’s Rodolfo Barrientos said. “Gracias Señor chose to close to protect the Pali community, we knew it would be a difficult decision, but we thought it was the most responsible decision to make.”

Barrientos said the team will be wearing protective gear at all times, including gloves and masks. He said they are also working on taking orders over the phone to minimize crowds and wait time.

He said there will also be signage in place reminding individuals to keep their distance, wear their face masks and be kind to one another.

Gracias Señor will be operating Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

At Palisades Village, retailers like Amazon Books and Sephora Studio remain temporarily closed.

LA County officials reopened trails and golf courses with restrictions beginning Saturday morning, May 9. Face coverings are required in parking lots, trailheads and other areas that are crowded, with hikers required to wear face coverings on trails if they’re unable to keep six feet apart from others.

According to a county website, Will Rogers State Historic Park has reduced capacity parking and all lawns, including the polo field, remain closed.

LA County is also slated to begin reopening beaches, including Will Rogers State Beach, as early as Wednesday, May 13.

Beach parking lots will remain closed during the first phase of reopening. Permitted activities include surfing, swimming, walking and running. Gathering, sitting, sunbathing, biking and volleyball will still not be allowed.

Those who visit the beach will be required to keep six feet of distance, as well as wear face coverings out of the water and around others.

As the Post went to print Tuesday evening, Public Health had identified 33,180 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of the county and a total of 1,613 deaths.

The number of cases in the Palisades was 40, with three cases reported in Palisades Highlands.