How LA residents are shunning pricey brick and mortar restaurants for hip backyard ventures

Talk about a home-cooked meal.From breakfast burritos in bungalows to tea parties on the lawn at hilltop estates, trendy home-based restaurants are popping up all over LA — unlocking a slew of new dining experiences as diverse as the City of Angels itself.And unlike the scores of street stalls taking over local sidewalks at a time when brick-and-mortar businesses are suffering and shuttering, this time it’s completely legal.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story The change comes in the wake of a change in permitting rules in Los Angeles County — authorizing microenterprise home kitchen operations, or MEHKOs, back in May 2024.

The program allows people to operate small-scale food businesses from their homes, paying well under $1,000 for their papers, according to County of Los Angeles Public Health — with some strict guidelines.Since permits started being issued in late 2024, the department has given out more than 400 licenses.Now, the city is exploding with buzzy home businesses like Granada, a stunning, all-day cafe at the end of a driveway in the Angelino Heights historic district, better known for its collection of Victorian-era homes.The chic haunt at the home of Sydney Wayser and Isaac Watters has drawn lines down the block — and even amassed an international following since opening in January of this year.“We just thought it would be a fun way to open up our house and meet some of the neighbors, but then it kind of became this place that people really wanted to come to from all over,” said Watters.

“We’ve had people come from Sweden, a lot of people from France, all over Europe.”Only open from 9 a.m.to 2 p.m.

on Mondays through Thursdays, Granada sells coffee, tea, and locally-baked pastries to avid fans — the business has over 16,...