I really don’t know the specifics in LA right now but, in my experience, a California “41” license is wine and beer only - not “liquor”…. as in spirits. These licenses are usually nowhere near as costly as full on hard liquor licenses.
Bottom line here, though, is that he’s communicating via social media but not offering the slightest explanation. On top of not even a posted statement on the property, it certainly sounds like something odd. It’s not like the guy has no experience in the industry.
It’s definitely odd as fuck. If the closure is really temporary, it’s even odder than if they just encountered some showstopper problem. If a disgruntled employee or partner was the issue, he may be too busy trying to get things started again to worry about PR.
A type 41 license is typically not expensive, but the ABC’s documentation requirements are the same. You have to show them where the money’s coming from and every investor and their spouses have to be fingerprinted.
I do not have Adam Fleischman’s personal phone number, nor have I ever, to my knowledge. I am not aware that anyone else that works at Eater does as well. However, we do communicate with people that work with Fleischman and received confirmation of the fate of Slow Burn. Those are the facts.
Sounds like ChocoChicken (good grief what a terrible concept and name) at least announced they were closing.
A restaurant with reservations suddenly going dark, disconnecting its phone, and taking its web site and Resy accounts offline, all with no announcement or even an explanatory note in the window … weird.
False assumption on my part, maybe. Eater interviewed Fleischman and got quotes from him on multiple occasions. All the restaurant news pieces I ever wrote, I still have phone numbers for everyone I quoted. All the interviews I did as a restaurant owner were on my cell phone.
The chef’s Jan. 7 post said the spotless, empty kitchen was “ready” for the first night of service. J_L’s report on 1/16 said they soft-opened earlier that week. First Yelp report was for 1/14.
