Bar’s exit strategy said to be lacking
MONTANA AVENUE — The quest for the city’s best burger may leave some Father’s Office fans with a bad taste in their mouth.
That’s because lovers of the Santa Monica fixture’s mouth-watering burgers — complete with smoked applewood bacon compote and blue cheese — now must stand in line before entering the often overcrowded establishment.
Apparently, someone snitched on the popular pub for serving too many people at once, prompting the Santa Monica Fire Department to conduct a surprise inspection May 5, at which time the owner, Sang Yoon, was ordered to kick customers out until there were 49 people inside, including employees, said Fire Marshal Jim Glew.
All establishments in Santa Monica that wish to have more than 49 people at once must have a permit to operate as a place of public assembly and have two exits in which the doors swing outwards, allowing for a swift and easy evacuation in case of an emergency, Glew said.
Father’s Office had no such permit, nor the proper exits required to accommodate the large crowds it drew nearly every night.
Now, if the bar reaches capacity, customers must wait outside until others pay their bills and leave. Yoon has stationed an employee out front to conduct traffic control.
“The number 49 is not arbitrary,” Glew said of the nationally-recognized standard. “It is based on a history of large losses of life in bars, restaurants and nightclubs,” including a fire that killed more than 95 people in a Rhode Island nightclub in 2003 during a performance by rock band Great White.
Glew said the cap is not new, but many businesses may not be familiar with it because they could have just recently experienced an increase in traffic, pushing them over the legal limit.
But Father’s Office has been busy for years, which begs the question: Why now? “(Father’s Office is) not a permitted place of public assembly, so therefore they were not in our records and were not inspected along with others during our quarterly inspections,” Glew said. “Smaller businesses fall under the responsibility of engine companies, who do inspections during the course of the day when they are not answering emergency calls … (Father’s Office) came to our attention because of a complaint.”
Complaints are made anonymously, Glew said.
Father’s Office is working with the fire department to design a second exit so the bar can accommodate more people, “but that process takes time,” as it requires the approval of city officials, Glew said.
Yoon did not return e-mail requests for an interview, however, Father’s Office, which is usually open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., has clearly been impacted financially by the recent crackdown.
On some of the more popular nights to go out drinking, there was anywhere between 100 to 120 people in the bar at any given time. Assuming the bar is serving 50 fewer people since the fire inspection two months ago, each spending an average of $30 on burgers and beer, the cap has caused a drop off in business equal to $1,500 a night. That’s $18,000 a month assuming there are three nights a week, or 12 evenings a month, in which the place is packed. Based on that math, Yoon has lost a minimum of $36,000 since firefighters conducted the inspection in May, according to rough, conservative estimates.
“We encourage businesses to be prosperous,” Glew said. “We want to work with any business owner to make sure they are in compliance. We don’t want to stop any activity, as long as it’s legal and it’s fair to the community … Shutting someone down is a last resort, but when lives are put at risk, there is no other recourse.”
Andrew Casaña of the California Restaurant Association said it is difficult for some businesses to stay in compliance with local, county, state and federal laws, however, there is no excuse for not following the law.
“You may try to bend the rules and go over (the limit) a few times, but you run the risk of getting busted and losing a lot of money if you get shut down,” Casaña said. “And it’s not just about money. It’s a safety issue also. In case of an emergency, if people can’t get out, they’re going to get hurt and if that does happen, they’ll be coming after (the business owner) and hold them liable.
“It just makes sense to take care of your customers and make sure they’re safe,” Casaña said, adding that Father’s Office is not a member of the association.
During a recent visit to the bar, customers inside seemed pleased with the elbow room provided by the cap. No longer does one have to try and eat a burger with someone leaning on their back. The service also has improved as bartenders are no longer as swamped as they used to be.
“You don’t feel rushed to eat and leave either,” said Paul Sharon of Mar Vista, who travels to Father’s Office for their wide selection of exotic beers and the sweet potato fries. “Before, if your were lucky enough to get a table, you’d be eating and people would be staring at you waiting to pounce as soon as you get up out of your seat. Now it’s pretty cool. You can actually sit and relax and have a conversation without shouting or pushing through the crowd to grab a beer.”
Outside the mood was different as some complained of having to wait in line. Father’s Office does not take reservations or provide take-out service.
Tiffany Townes said it is tough to stand outside and watch others drink and be merry, “but the burgers are worth it.”
Townes said the bar has such a good reputation for great food that a line shouldn’t deter others from checking it out.
However, “after you’ve been here a few times, you might just say, ‘The hell with it,’” she said. “They really do need to do something to fix the problem. Being in LA, there are so many places where you have to wait in line. People are kind of tired of it.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 10, 2006. Read the original PDF.