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The Struggle of a Michelin-Starred Restaurant in Los Angeles
Spoon & Pork, a Filipino restaurant recognized by Michelin and praised by the LA Times and New York Times, is currently fighting to stay open. This struggle is not unique to Spoon & Pork; it reflects a broader crisis facing many restaurants in Los Angeles. According to a recent report, the dining scene in America is experiencing one of its toughest financial periods since the pandemic.
Jay Tugas and Raymond Yaptinchay launched Spoon & Pork from a food truck in 2017, offering modern Filipino cuisine that introduced a new culture to diners. “When people enjoy the food, it touches our heart,” Tugas said. “Because that’s what we wanted to do, we wanted to introduce our dishes, our culture, to everyone.”
By 2020, the restaurant had expanded to two brick-and-mortar locations—one in Silver Lake and another in Sawtelle Japantown. However, the situation has drastically changed. “It’s really tough, it’s really hard,” Tugas admitted. “I had to let go of all my servers and kitchen staff. So now it’s just me and my business partner Raymond.”
Tugas shared his frustration on social media, showing an empty dining room. “Sometimes it’s just like, you know, it leaves my brain blank. Like what is going on?” he said. He emphasized the importance of customers over reviews, stating, “At the end of the day, it’s more important for me to have people coming in than having the reviews.”
The challenges faced by Spoon & Pork are echoed by many restaurant owners in Los Angeles. Rising costs, high taxes, and expensive labor have made it difficult for even Michelin-starred kitchens to survive. “Everything’s expensive, number one,” Tugas explained. “I think the taxes here are atrocious, we pay almost 30% after every sale. It’s just crazy. Labor’s very expensive.”
Tugas believes the restaurant industry never fully recovered from the economic impact of the pandemic. “We were like, 2020 is going to be awesome,” he recalled with tears in his eyes. “And then, come March, everything shuts down. So we’ve been really battling from that time, from the day we opened until now. It was a constant battle.”
With government relief programs ending and prices continuing to rise, many restaurants are struggling to stay afloat. “This one is not going to last,” Tugas said. “And I’m working hard for the other one to stay open as well.”
The Broader Crisis in the Restaurant Industry
America’s once-thriving dining scene is now in trouble. Restaurants are facing their worst financial squeeze since the pandemic, with skyrocketing food and labor costs and a sharp decline in consumer spending. A KPMG survey found that Americans plan to spend 7% less per month at restaurants this summer compared to fall 2024. Nearly 70% of respondents said they are eating at home more often than last year, with 85% citing budget constraints as the main reason.
Fast food visits have increased, while casual dining has declined. Many chain restaurants are closing locations, including TGI Fridays, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, reducing its U.S. locations to 85. Red Lobster, Hooters, Subway, Applebee’s, Mod Pizza, and Buffalo Wild Wings have also scaled back significantly, closing dozens or even hundreds of units.
A contributing factor to the crisis is the shift from in-person dining to delivery. Consumers are more comfortable with takeout and delivery, which has affected restaurant revenue. Michael Kaufman from Harvard Business School noted that three-quarters of restaurant traffic across the country is now off-premises.
According to the National Restaurant Association, most restaurant operators believe building on-premises business is more important for their success than increasing off-premises business. A Bank of America 2025 forecast suggests that digital proficiency will continue to be a key differentiator in the industry, with automation and robotics playing a more significant role in the future.
As the restaurant industry continues to face these challenges, many owners are working tirelessly to keep their doors open. For Spoon & Pork, the fight is ongoing, but the passion for sharing Filipino culture remains strong.
