LOS ANGELES — There are small businesses in Altadena that have gas and electricity, but they are still closed.

What You Need To Know

  • Nancy’s Greek Café is located in east Altadena

  • The cafe is one of several businesses in the shopping complex that have power, but no running water
  • Las Flores Water Company thinks it can restore water to the shopping complex by mid-April

  • The affected shopping center is located on East Altadena Drive next to Rite Aid

The lights are on, but the seats are empty in Nancy’s Greek Café in east Altadena. Owner Shawn Shakhmalian said it’s been like this for three months.

“There was a fire in the mountains, so we quickly left everything, closed down and left,” he said.

Although it survived the devastating Eaton Fire, the cafe remains closed as Shakhmalian waits for the water to be turned back on.

“We started cleaning, sanitizing and getting ready to reopen, but then we have no water to open,” he said.

Nancy’s is one of several businesses in the shopping complex on the east side of Altadena that have power, but no running water.

“You cannot open a restaurant without water. It’s health department regulations; you cannot perform. The restrooms need water. We need water to wash dishes, so you can not operate without water. No restaurant can operate without water,” he said.

Since the Eaton Fire in January, Las Flores Water Company hasn't been able to provide clean water to the shopping complex where Nancy’s Greek Café is located.

Nic Arnzen, vice chair of the Altadena Town Council, who also lost his home in the Eaton Fire, has been helping local businesses cope with the changes and said Las Flores has provided updates.

“There’re four companies that service Altadena. There’s really, we’re just down to one that has yet to get their facilities back up and going and that’s because they had such extreme damage,” Arnzen said.

The restoration date has been pushed back several times.

“It’s devastating what their facilities up in the hills had gone through,” Arnzen said.

The water company now thinks it can restore water to its customers by mid-April, a deadline Shakhmalian doesn't know if the cafe can survive till.

“We’re hoping that it will work, and we will survive. We’re not even sure if we can survive after reopening. We’ll know when we can open,” he said.

Water is what he’s waiting for, to see his now empty cafe full once again. 

The affected shopping center is located on East Altadena Drive next to Rite Aid.