Santa Monica eases regulations to boost local businesses in time for March Madness
March 21, 2025 7:13 AM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 20, 2025) – The city of Santa Monica has temporarily suspended several restaurant regulations to support local economic recovery and assist businesses still facing impacts from the January wildfires.
Interim City Manager Elaine Polachek, serving as the director of emergency services, Thursday signed a second supplement to the Emergency Order issued by the City Council declaring a local emergency on Jan. 10 in response to the Palisades Fire. The supplement lays out several updates to foster recovery efforts and support continued regional recovery.
“While we didn’t see physical fire damage in Santa Monica, our small businesses and local restaurants continue to feel the impacts of decreased economic activity, on top of inflation and other economic realities,” Community Development Director Arminé Chaparyan said. “As a city, we are committed to continuing to ease the burden as much as possible and ensure our local economy can recover and grow.”
In an effort to help restaurants attract more patrons during the March Madness college basketball tournament, the order suspends restrictions on restaurants already licensed to serve alcohol.
Suspended regulations include:
- Limitations on hours of operation and hours of alcohol service
- Prohibitions against serving alcohol in any disposable container
- Limitations on percentage of total gross revenues per year from alcohol sales
- Restrictions of the number of television screens and screen size
- Prohibitions on pool tables, video or amusement games, bowling, darts and other similar entertainment activities
- Prohibitions on bottle service and requirement that food be served with alcohol purchases
- Prohibitions on “pub crawl” events
- Requirements that outdoor dining areas must be used primarily for seated meal service
- Limitations on the number of outdoor and indoor seats
- Requirements that meal service be provided with any entertainment
These suspensions will be in place through April 30, unless extended by the director of emergency services.
In addition, the supplemental emergency order:
- Allows hotels to request an extension on Transient Occupancy Tax payments to the city
- Permits Santa Monica schools to expand enrollment to support displaced Palisades students
- Reinstates enforcement of the city’s prohibition on short-term rentals effective April 19
To read the full emergency order, click here.
Media Contact
Tati Simonian
Public Information Officer
Tati.Simonian@santamonica.gov
Categories
Business, Business Programs, Licenses And Permits