Reopenings

Echo Park’s Pizza Buona Struggling to Reopen

Echo Park
Echo Park Photo: AndrewGorden/Flickr

Last February, a car slammed into Echo Park’s Pizza Buona, taking operations out and injuring a pregnant passerby. Fortunately, no one was killed, but nine months later, the business is still struggling to be revived. Eastsider L.A. speaks with owner Otilia Schweitzer, who was hit with a double whammy when, right around the time of the accident, one of those questionable lawsuits was filed over the pizza parlor’s lack of a disabled-accessible restroom.

Bouncing back from the crash was relatively easy, but the lawsuit meant Buona had to spend a lot of money and time on the construction of a new restroom, hallway, and flooring, which themselves lead to new problems with inspectors. This week, the restaurant’s final inspections were mired in the mud again due to the lack of braille decals on its windows that let people know it’s wheelchair-accessible.

The delays are wearing on Schweitzer, who tells the blog, “It’s a tragedy…We have been closed since August.” However, the owner says everything is ready for a reemergence and is confident she can reopen in a day once given the green light.

Car Crash, ADA Lawsuit & Missing Stickers: Echo Park pizza parlor struggles to reopen [TESLA]

Echo Park’s Pizza Buona Struggling to Reopen