July 26, 2025

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Boyle Heights Restaurants on Brink After ICE Raids

Boyle Heights eateries are in crisis after a wave of ICE raids swept the neighborhood starting June 6, driving longtime customers off the streets. At La Chispa de Oro on Cesar Chavez Avenue, owner Melchor Moreno says daily sales have plunged to half normal levels, with more than $7,000 lost and staff hours slashed. A recent Boyle Heights Beat survey found many restaurants enduring revenue and customer losses of 50% or more, with some reporting declines exceeding $10,000 in just weeks.

Local leaders, including Mayor Karen Bass and Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez, have toured the unusually quiet corridors and pledged to “double down on support,” yet business owners say concrete financial relief has lagged. Community groups and the Boyle Heights Chamber of Commerce are hosting “Know Your Rights” workshops and calling for grant programs modeled on pandemic aid to prevent the closure of family-run eateries that anchor the Eastside’s culture and economy.

Senegal Surf Club’s Zero-Waste Shift Spurs 67 Restaurants to Ditch Plastics

DAKAR, Senegal — Frustrated by daily encounters with ocean plastics, surfer-turned-restaurateur Babacar Thiaw banned all single-use plastics at his Copacabana Surf Club in 2019. Within months, beachside plastic waste fell by 35%. Partnering with Zero Waste Senegal, he introduced bamboo and metal straws, glass bottles and bulk purchasing.

Building on that success, Thiaw launched a three-tier certification system that helps eateries eliminate bottles, straws and single-serve items. By 2024, 67 restaurants across Senegal had earned Zero Waste titles, demonstrating how local action can drive nationwide change.

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Chefs de France Debuts Breakfast Buffet at 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

Disney Parks will launch a new breakfast buffet at Chefs de France as part of the 2025 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, available Fridays and Saturdays beginning September 5.

Features classic French pastries, fresh baguettes, charcuterie, smoked salmon and seasonal fruit

Includes unlimited mimosas, fruit juices and freshly brewed coffee

Bookings open August 12, 2025, for the festival running August 28 to November 22, with reservations required in advance.

McDonald’s to Test CosMc’s-Inspired Drinks at Over 500 U.S. Locations

McDonald’s is tapping into nostalgia and Gen Z tastes by resurrecting beverages from its short-lived CosMc’s spinoff at more than 500 U.S. restaurants later this summer. Beginning September 2 across Wisconsin, Colorado and adjacent areas, the chain will offer bold new refreshments—among them Toasted Vanilla Frappé, Strawberry Watermelon Refresher and Sprite Lunar Splash.

• Target: Afternoon pick-me-ups and snack breaks for cold-drink fans
• Why now: “Real momentum in beverages,” says Alyssa Buetikofer, McDonald’s USA CMO

Alongside these tests, McDonald’s has rolled out a Snack Wrap comeback, a spicy breakfast twist, new pie flavors and a burger, underscoring its push to refresh menus nationwide.

Ex-Cop Chef Delivers Biscuits and Aid with Pack Mules

HARMONY, N.C. & TEXAS FLOOD ZONES — Former officer Michael Thomas traded his badge for a spatula when he opened a Southern-style breakfast restaurant in Harmony, N.C., but a lifelong drive to serve resurfaced this year. He joined Mission Mules, a North Carolina nonprofit founded after Hurricane Helene, to navigate washed-out terrain with trained pack mules and four-person teams.

On his latest deployment in Texas, Thomas helped deliver food, water and medical supplies to river communities cut off by flooding. Despite the physical and emotional challenges, the experience rekindled his commitment to aid work—and he’s already planning his next mission.

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Boyle Heights Eateries on the Brink After ICE Raids—Sales Slashed by Half