Iconic L.A. Deli Langer’s Threatens To Close Over Vagrant Drug Use, Sidewalk Vendor Issues

The owner of Los Angeles’ iconic Deli, Langer’s Deli, threatened to close permanently over a multitude of issues in the MacArthur Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, including high drug usage, trash issues, and a growing number of sidewalk vendors.

Since 1947, Langer’s has operated in the same location in Los Angeles, adjacent to MacArthur Park. Throughout the decades, the deli has not only become one of L.A.’s iconic restaurants, but has been called the best deli in the country, serving an iconic pastrami sandwich. In the early 90’s, the restaurant faced a significant hurdle during the crack epidemic and nearly closed. However, they survived in part thanks to a new Metro station opening nearby, and thrived in the decades afterwards.

That is until recently. For over a decade, the number of street vendors in the area have climbed dramatically, many of whom block a large part of the sidewalk for blocks around the park, all centered around the Metro station nearby. Recent restrictions on vending around the station have pushed vendors further outwards, with many encroaching on the deli. At the same time, a growing number of homeless people and addicts in the area have been taking drugs like fentanyl, leaving needles and other dangerous residue. In addition to those two major issues, trash has begun piling up across the area as well.

Many deli customers became increasingly wary of going there. Langer’s Deli owner Norm Langer threatened to close the Deli in the coming weeks if nothing was done about the issues.

“It’s not safe,” said Langer on Tuesday. “It’s too many needles. Too much fentanyl. Too much drugs. People walking around here taking their clothes off, walking around naked. You know, it’s nuts. I don’t want to spoil anybody’s appetite, but you’ve got a problem with defecation on sidewalks, for somebody was strung out on drugs. There’s something. They’re trying to make a score on fentanyl. They’re passed out on the sidewalk, and the city is lame and doing something about it.

“I need the park cleaned up. I need 7th Street cleaned up. But the vending is not only the issue. It’s the issue of the gangs collecting rent. It’s the issue of, I’m not going to say fentanyl or any other drug. It’s the drugs period. One week. I either see some things happening within the week, or I’ll lock it up.”

The possible closure of Langer’s has been such a big deal in Los Angeles because of it’s history with the city, that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass actually met with Langer over the issues and has been trying to do something about fixing the problems.

“I have spoken to Mr. Langer a couple of times and look to be meeting with him soon,” said Bass. “We need an overall strategy and approach for MacArthur Park because there are a multitude of issues that take place right there.”

On Wednesday, she finally met him face to face inside the Deli, quickly working against the clock of Langer’s ultimatum.

L.A. mayor meets with Langer’s Deli owner who may close over safety concerns https://t.co/qjeOgaD7Ui pic.twitter.com/S2HmkibKPo

— KTLA (@KTLA) August 28, 2024

While some blame has been on the city itself for not doing enough about the problems overall, much of the blame has been put on Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. Many have said that the issues in MacArthur Park have been growing because of Hernandez dragging her feet, including not outright banning street vendors in the area like a majority of residents in the neighborhood and city want. Residents want a return of street vending bans throughout the city, many of which were lifted earlier this year.

In response, Hernandez’s office said on Wednesday that “In her first 20 months in office, Councilmember Hernandez has brought in an unprecedented level of funding to MacArthur Park to address the decades of underinvestment in the area. She is coordinating a multi-agency approach to address the crisis at the park and break the cycle of neglect and disinvestment by deploying a full-time clean team to the area, bringing in a street medicine team to provide services to people experiencing homelessness, leveraging federal funding to explore an expansion of the park by closing Wilshire Blvd, and securing funding from the City’s Opioid Settlement Fund to address the opioid and overdose crisis. She is committed to seeing this through and is calling on leaders at every level of government to join her in this urgent work.”

However, residents have said that it isn’t enough, and that Langer’s threat of closing may actually bring more change in the coming weeks than lawmakers have done in the past few years.

“There have been some preliminary polls showing that residents want sweeping changes on these things soon. It’s not only Langer’s wanting this, but they are an L.A. icon. So when they threaten to close, people listen. Mayor Bass met with the owner less than 48 hours he made the announcement. What does that tell you?” Los Angeles pollster Luke Rogers told the Globe on Wednesday.

“People want cleaner streets and sidewalks and trash cleared more frequently. Other polls have shown that they want the encampments out too, although that one is happening sooner than later thanks to that new state law. Residents also want large scale crackdowns of drug usage and more police to make sure they stay away.

“And then there is the street vendor issue. This one is a bit more divisive, but generally people want those gone too, or limited to only a few vendors a block, like a hot dog cart or fruit seller or what have you.

“Basically people want the area clean again. Homeless, trash, drugs, gangs, and illegal vendors out, as well as clearing up the sidewalks for foot traffic. We had a comment section, and in Spanish, one resident wrote ‘We want our neighborhood back.’ That has generally been the sentiment. And you can tell now why Langer’s is threatening to close. It’s gotten this bad.

“On a bigger lens, it is a mix of problems threatening many businesses across the state in urban areas. These problems are threatening businesses from Sacramento to San Diego. And it took an iconic location like Langer’s to really bring these issues to a head.

“Based on the Mayor’s response, you can bet we’ll see a lot of fast-tracked cleaning projects and other things coming to the area soon. The only thing that will take longer is street vendors, as many are operating legally with permits. But even then that issue can be quickened too.”

As of Wednesday, Langer has not commented on the growing efforts to fix the issues he highlighted.