Flake In Venice Scheduled To Reopen In May

VENICE, CA — Venice breakfast and brunch staple Flake is set to reopen this month following a brief closure during the coronavirus pandemic and offering take out and delivery options for locals continuing to shelter in place.

Flake fans can expect the restaurant at 513 Rose Ave. to reopen for breakfast, some lunch items and coffee starting May 13, Flake owner Paige Clay told Patch.

The Venice restaurant and coffee shop was closed over the last several weeks as the coronavirus outbreak and social distancing measures were implemented across Los Angeles County.

"We’ve never really closed in 13 years so it’s been really strange, but everyone’s healthy and safe and our spirits are up," Clay said. "It's been hard."

The restaurant will open with amended hours and days, moving to five days a week from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for now. The menu will be limited to start but will still include classics, including breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches, açaí bowl and grilled cheese.

Flake is still determining what the demand will be and finalizing reopening plans, Clay told Patch. People will be able to order online and via phone. Flake accepts Apple Pay and customers can also pay by credit card over the phone.

"We’re only going to do takeout for awhile. We’re probably just going to do phone orders," Clay said.

Walk up orders might not happen, she said.

"I don’t even know if we’ll take walk ups to begin with. People can call on the phone and walk up and pick it up," Clay said.

Flake will keep following CDC and LA County health department updates and guidelines, she said. All employees are wearing masks and gloves. It also means there must be six feet of distance when people come and pick up.

"We’re just gonna see how it goes. We did try to stay open for a week for takeout and it was really crazy. People were all over the place and it felt really dangerous," Clay said. "It’s just going to depend on the customers and the crowd, too."

"It’ll probably be awhile before we’re able to let people come inside. Flake is so small, you know? So we’re going to go with what we did before."

The location will add plexiglass at the cash register to help protect workers. It's one of many changes the team is getting used to, she added.

"I’m having to cut half of my staff, so that’s been really difficult," she told Patch. "Hopefully I’ll eventually be able to bring everyone back. I had nine employees on the weekend, now it’s about half."

Until then, Clay is working hard to establish a new sense of normal.

"It's just such a weird time for everyone and we have such a such strong community in Venice," Clay told Patch.

"We all just said 'let’s take this time, we’re never going to get it again.' It’s a whole reworking of our business model, but I’m confident, I have a great staff and we’re going to see what happens," she said.

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