SANTA MONICA, Calif. – A fire for what he does drives the owner of Astro's donuts and fried chicken on Santa Monica’s Main Street.

As the new kid on the block, Art Levitt is hoping to solidify his business as a staple in the Ocean Park area. The former CEO of companies like Hard Rock Café International and Fandango decided to leave the entertainment industry to try something new. 

Astro's started in Washington DC, but after Levitt tried it there, he wanted to bring it to the West Coast and set up shop in downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica about six months ago. 

Rents are rising all over L.A., there is upward pressure on wages, which is good for workers but squeezes margins for new small businesses.

The City of L.A. and Santa Monica are considering a vacancy tax on storefronts that are left empty as a way to push property owners to fill the spaces. Landlords can actually profit from keeping a place vacant to write off losses and borrow money on a building’s expected rents.

This doesn’t help the community though.

In a progressive place like Santa Monica, restaurants are the anchor tenants of any block, according to Hunter Hall, executive director of the Main Street Business Improvement Association.

Hall said the city has added public parklets and tentpole events like the summer solstice and coast, as a way to revitalize the street. 

“Just because you see your local restaurant that is maybe busy on a Thursday or Friday night, that doesn’t mean that they are necessarily a successful business, that just means they are busy," said Hall. "What’s really happening is the paradigm shift of online shopping and food delivery that is affecting Main Street U.S.A., not just Main Street Santa Monica.”

As for Levitt and the future of Astro's?

“For us we take it day by day, minute by minute, customer by customer,” said Levitt.

Swingers Diner Shuts Down

A business that closed recently was Swingers Diner in Santa Monica, a late-night institution. 

Adrienne Edenburn was the manager there for the last three years. She has worked in the food service industry for nearly two decades and after living in Santa Monica for the last seven years, she moved to South Central because it's more affordable.

That's also what the owners cite as the primary reason for its closure. Rising costs of labor, food, and operating expenses made it impossible to maintain the business model.

Back in 1993, the owners wanted to create a place in Hollywood where everyone was welcome and the staff could be themselves, encouraging self-expression in their dress code, creating a punk rock place that was a welcomed alternative to the traditional diner.

The Santa Monica spot was the second location, which opened in 2000.

It was one of the few places on the Westside that stayed open after hours for those hankering to feed their appetite after a night of going out. They served healthy comfort food, including many vegan options, for the last 19 years.

A sudden decision to shut its doors on Aug. 31 created an influx of customers wanting to say goodbye to the nostalgic spot.

The Hollywood location will remain open, but for the Santa Monica location, it was the end of an era.