Restaurant Workers Concerned About Making Ends Meet When SoCal Stay-At-Home Order Takes Effect

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- One Pasadena patron dining outdoors hours before the new stay-at-home order takes effect in Southern California was brought to tears knowing many employees would going home Sunday night without an income for some time.

"Just watching this guy bussing tables, I mean, what is he going to do for money?" 

In Pasadena, restaurants like True Food Kitchen remained open for outdoor dining despite Mayor Eric Garcetti's latest closure in L.A. County because Pasadena has its own health department and city leaders voted to remain open.

With Gov. Gavin Newsom's new stay-at-home order taking effect 11:59 p.m. Sunday, many restaurant workers could lose their only income just in time for the holidays.

"It's pretty hard and nerve-wracking not knowing what your income is going to be over the hardest time in the year when bills are due, rent is du, and the holiday season," said server Eiligh Norris.

Over at Urban Plates restaurant, there was a line of people on Sunday evening waiting to be seated outside.

The co-owner who has 16 Urban Plates restaurants throughout California said he's devastated for his 1,500 employees.

"The game changes every single day and we have to reinvent ourselves all the time, which costs an incredible amount of money to do so our employees," said John Zagara. "Our team members are struggling as it is right now and wondering at this point, I have so many texts, what am I going to do for the next three weeks, and it's just so heartbreaking."

For those who think affected employees can just get unemployment benefits, they say it takes time for that to kick in.

Norris said many people in the restaurant business still haven't received a check from unemployment when the first stay-at-home order happened in the spring. 

"I hope my savings is enough or the government puts something into place that can help us all because everyone is struggling right now," Norris said.

The Southern California region consists of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

The region will be eligible to exit from the order on December 28 if ICU capacity projections for the following month are above or equal to 15%, according to the state.