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1977

PIZZA BAR

397 S Coast Hwy @ Laguna Avenue pizzabar . com

“ Our Town , Our Paper ” lagunabeachindy . com MAY 5 , 2023 | Volume XX , Issue 18

By Clara Beard | LB Indy

The City of Laguna Beach ordered Hotel Laguna and 14 West to close Tuesday evening after three separate altercations between two different armed security guard teams broke out on the hotels ’ premises . The conflicts were related to an ongoing civil dispute over the control of operations and management at the hotel properties between well-known Laguna Beach real estate investor Mohammad Honarkar and a group of investors who claim to have bailed out Honarkar from foreclosure two years ago .

As part of the bailout , Honarkar contributed all of his assets to a group of investors represented by Cohen Law Group , which includes properties such as Hotel Laguna , the Art-A-Fair building , Cliff Village LLC , Terra Laguna Beach , several vacation homes and the 14 West hotel .

However , on Tuesday morning , the Laguna Beach Police Department responded to claims of trespassing and physical altercations between two armed security guard teams at 14 West ( formally the Holiday Inn ). The police responded to another disturbance at Hotel Laguna in the afternoon and again later at 14 West that evening .

HOTEL LAGUNA , PAGE 3

By Barbara McMurray , Special to the Laguna Beach Independent

Soaring food and labor costs , energy expenses , and ever-slimmer profit margins are among the worries facing restaurateurs in 2023 . A survey from the National Restaurant Association shows inflation intensifying the need to preserve profit margins , which are already notoriously razor-thin in the industry .

The owners of two Laguna eateries ,

The City of Laguna Beach closed Hotel Laguna and 14 West Boutique Hotel on Tuesday after police responded to three physical altercations between two different security guard groups . Photo / LB Indy

one long-established and one new , detailed their current challenges and opportunities .

The heavy April showers brought May flowers , but the rains and wind served up havoc for Zinc Café and Market on Ocean Avenue . Owner John Secretan described the late February weather event that demolished the overhead tent structure in the outdoor dining area that served as a parking lot before the pandemic .

“ The wind came out of nowhere . Literally 30 minutes before that happened , it was a relatively peaceful scene ,” he said . “ The rains were devastating to our restaurant because all our seating is outdoors . In Southern California , you don ’ t expect that .

“ Not only do we have the effects of all the rain , but we ’ re still recovering from

RESTAURATEURS , PAGE 14

By LB Indy Staff

In true Academy-award style , 200 community and cultural leaders came together to celebrate the 15th annual Art Star Awards on April 28 . Held on the Festival of Arts grounds , this year ’ s red-carpet reception and ceremony featured pop-up musical and dance performances and live art demonstrations , all complimented by champagne and h ’ oeuvres .

Breaking with tradition , the Laguna Beach Art Alliance created a robust , festive program to immerse guests in art amidst a relaxed , social atmosphere .

“ Thanks to the inspiration of our chair , Pat Kollenda , we broke away from a traditional seated awards banquet to a livelier cocktail party atmosphere with engaging entertainment by some of our member organizations ,” says event co-chair Faye Baglin . “ Everyone seemed happy to have ample time for socializing with friends , and of course , none of this would have been possible without the generosity of the volunteer performers .”

“ A great team effort resulted in an event better than could be dreamed of ,” added co-chair Wayne Baglin . “ Even glitches turned out to be improvements in the program . We can ’ t wait to do it again .”

LOUIES , PAGE 18

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