Jen Rush is the owner of Blue Plate Oysterette and Blue Plate Taco in Downtown Santa Monica.

To all who do business, live, work and manage our City of Santa Monica,

This week a group of us went to visit 10 local hotel concierges to try and drum up business for our restaurants, as it has been painfully slow in Santa Monica.

I have spoken to many colleagues in the Santa Monica hospitality business and they have also confirmed very slow business. The gray weather does not help, but I wanted you all to know that several of the hotels commented that they are no longer seeing foreign tourists as they are being advised to stay away from Santa Monica specifically, due to the increase in homelessness, unsafe streets and beaches that are populated by homeless.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/letters/Letters-2023/06_07_2023_OPINION_A_Call_for_Action_from_the_Trenches.html