An iconic Arby’s location in Hollywood, operating since the late 1960s and under the same ownership, closed due to California’s new $20-an-hour minimum wage law.
The restaurant, a local landmark, shut its doors after struggling to survive during the pandemic and facing the financial burden of the increased minimum wage.
“Truth is, I think it was the pandemic that did us in,” owner Marilyn Leviton said.
Leviton added, “I really feel we would have closed during the pandemic [if it weren’t] for the federal loans.”
“I’m awfully sorry that it came to this,” she said. “I think we did a good job for 55 years.”
The closure reflects the challenges faced by numerous businesses in California, with some attributing job losses and rising costs to the wage hike, making the state home to the most expensive fast food in the country.
