Agoura Hills 'Disappointed' In Cronies Sports Grill

AGOURA HILLS, CA — Agoura Hills City Manager Nathan Hamburger released a lengthy statement Tuesday evening saying that the city is "disappointed" in Cronies Sports Grill, the chain whose Agoura Hills location is remaining open for outdoor dining in defiance of the county ban.

Without giving any names throughout the letter, Hamburger referred to "one business that is violating the existing Health Orders and other laws that has members of the community contacting us expressing their feeling that their health and well-being are at risk."

Hamburger said that the city particularly disapproved of a Monday night rally at the chain's Agoura Meadows Shopping Center location, when over 100 supporters, many of them not wearing masks, gathered in support and dined outdoors in protest.

"We are disappointed by the actions taken by this business since encouraging people from outside the area to come into our community to protest the health order and not wear masks, in our view, shows a dangerous disregard or the well-being of others in Agoura Hills in light of the pandemic," Hamburger wrote.

Hamburger reported that there are "several actions in progress" and that there will be "long-term and severe consequences for their Health Code violations." He pointed to citations and fines from Los Angeles County (already at least $2,500, according to owner Dave Foldes), extensive legal fees, and a suspension of their Los Angeles County Health Permit and their city permit for expanded outdoor dining. Hamburger wrote that Cronies may have difficulties selling alcohol in all its locations, including the four in Ventura County.

Foldes told Patch that the city sent him a letter threatening to shut off his restaurant's utilities, a charge that the city has neither confirmed nor denied. Foldes is likely to be in tough financial shape: he told Fox Business that his Agoura Hills location was losing $5,000 to 10,000 a month in profits even before outdoor dining was banned.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has raised $5,140 from 116 donors as of Wednesday afternoon, but that will likely only cover a small fraction of the fines and legal fees the chain is racking up.

Hamburger wrote that most legal action will take place this week, and that the city anticipates having final answers "shortly" from county and state enforcement agencies.

Although L.A. County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant on Tuesday called the ban "arbitrary"and ruled Tuesday that the county must conduct a "risk-benefit" analysis if they want the outdoor dining ban to continue past its current end date on Dec. 16, the restaurant will still be on the hook for violating the order while it is in effect.

On Thursday, the restaurant will head to court for a Revocation Hearing that will determine whether or not its permit will be permanently revoked, Councilmember Deborah Klein Lopez wrote in a Facebook post.

Lopez's post attempted to present a neutral timeline of events, but was quickly bombarded with mostly negative comments accusing her of not supporting Cronies. Meanwhile, Mayor Illece Buckley Weber echoed Hamburger's sentiments.

"It is concerning that a business in our community would defy a public health order endangering its employees and our residents. Everyone who was there last night should assume they were infected with the virus and start their quarantine period. The Department of Public Health, the City of Agoura Hills and Alcohol Beverage Control are taking action while affording the restaurant its due process rights under the law," she wrote in an email to Patch.

There appears to be one point on which the city and Foldes agree: supporting small businesses. Foldes, who has said that his defiance is based on protecting his struggling employees and defending what he feels is fair, told the crowd at the rally to support small businesses whenever they could.

"Go to every single restaurant that you can that's a small business because they need us, they need you - everybody go to the small businesses," he said. "I don't want to say don't go to the big chains, but don't go to the big chains!"

The city, meanwhile, attempted to facilitate outdoor dining during the year by creating makeshift dining areas in public spaces and expediting the permit process. Although they've struck a different note since the Nov. 25, Hamburger still ended his letter with a plea to shop small.

"It is critical we continue to support our local businesses in ways we haven't necessarily done in the past by purchasing gifts and gift cards locally and ordering takeout," he wrote. "Local businesses are an integral piece of our community and we should support those who are showing responsibility by following the Public Health Orders for the benefit of everyone in our community."

To read the full statement, visit the city website.

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