July 18 Daily Briefing: Struggles for beloved restaurant, funding a pickleball project, tree cut down, and more

Welcome to Thursday — already! If you haven’t noticed, it’s road construction season, and there’s no slowing in Palm Springs just because it’s hot. While we rarely have room to tell you about everything being ripped up or replaced, the city does. Just head to this page on the official city website for the latest about road projects in your neighborhood and throughout the city. We also remind you to give those construction workers a break and slow down when you see cones.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Bougainvillea Blues” by The Dip

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LEADING OFF

Palm Springs vegan staple saved by community, faces new challenge

Former employees Misti Rausch and Sean Reynolds rescued Native Foods, a beloved Palm Springs vegan restaurant, from closure. The new owners now grapple with unexpected difficulties while maintaining their commitment to compassionate cuisine and community impact.

Driving the news: Rausch and Reynolds purchased the original Palm Springs location of Native Foods — tucked into the corridors of Smoke Tree Village off East Palm Canyon Drive in South Palm Springs — when the chain announced it was going out of business, saving jobs and preserving a 30-year community institution.

• The local vegan community rallied around the effort with a GoFundMe campaign to support the purchase.

Why it matters: Native Foods is one of only two fully vegan restaurants in Palm Springs, offering “compassionate cuisine” accessible to everyone. The restaurant’s survival maintains a crucial gathering place for the local vegan community.

The challenges: Separating from the corporate system has led to increased costs and technical issues for the new owners. Loss of bulk discounts and unexpected repair bills have strained finances.

What’s next: Rausch and Reynolds are returning the menu to its local roots, reintroducing healthier options that were removed during the pandemic. They also aim to partner with animal shelters and sanctuaries to further their community impact.

What they’re saying: “That’s what it means for us,” says Rausch. “It’s not about making money. It’s not about becoming millionaires. That’s never gonna happen. And, you know, we’re not trying to buy more restaurants. We’re not trying to create an empire. We just love what we do. And we want to be able to have a positive impact and be a positive influence in the community.”

The bottom line: Despite financial hurdles, the owners remain committed to their employees and mission, prioritizing positive community influence over profit.

Dive deeper with the full story from Maggie Miles.

BRIEFLY

🏓 Pickleball project gets potential $2M boost

The city’s Measure J Oversight Commission has recommended an additional $2 million in funding for an improved pickleball court complex at Demuth Park. 

• The $6 million project includes 24 new USA Pickleball Association compliant courts with various amenities, including ADA accessibility, new lighting, sidewalks, shade structures, and trees. 
  
  
• Previously, the commission approved $725,000 in Measure J funds to match the city’s contribution. To bridge an estimated $4.5 million funding gap, city staff suggested using $2.5 million from Quimby funds —monies collected from developers for park improvements under the California Quimby Act —and an extra $2 million from Measure J funds.

Bottom line: The project has been the subject of numerous community meetings. The commission’s recommendation will now be considered by the Palm Springs City Council. If approved, the project will move forward for final design and construction expected in 2025.

Read our complete story here.

⚖️ Report: Owner of closed restaurant acknowledges fraud

Philip Frederick Camino, former owner of the shuttered Stout Burgers and Beer in Palm Springs, has agreed to plead guilty to defrauding federal pandemic relief programs of over $4 million, according to a report published in The Desert Sun.

• According to the story, federal prosecutors allege Camino submitted more than 20 fraudulent applications to loan programs designed to assist businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  
• The scheme, lasting about a year from April 2020, reportedly involved two co-conspirators and multiple companies across California and Arizona. Camino’s businesses received more than $4.1 million in loans.

Bottom line: Camino faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a minimum $250,000 fine. The US Attorney’s Office has recommended a reduced sentence.

🏳️‍🌈 Popular Barracks Bar to close

The Barracks Bar, a cornerstone of the local LGBTQ+ community for over three decades, will close its doors on Aug. 4, according to its owners . 

• Management of the bar at 67625 E Palm Canyon Dr. wrote on Facebook that they were closing the business due to a revoked liquor license that goes into effect on Aug. 5.
  
  
• “We want to thank all of you — the LGBTQ+ Community — for all of your support, love, connections and friendship over these past 31 years,” they wrote. “It has been our deepest honor and privilege to serve you. The management and staff of The Barracks love this community and are so grateful for your patronage.

Up next: Bar management hinted at a potential new chapter in Phoenix, promising a “continued life” beyond California.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Pet Vaccine Clinic
9:30 a.m. | Palm Springs Animal Shelter
The Palm Springs Animal Shelter invites you to bring in your pet for low-cost vaccines, including vaccines for rabies and canine influenza. They are also offering microchip implantation and registration. ($15-$25)

Joint City Council, Tribal Council Meeting
5 p.m. | Palm Springs Convention Center
For the first time in six years, the Palm Springs City Council will meet with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to discuss a variety of items and accomplishments important to the community.

VillageFest
7 p.m. | Downtown Palm Springs
The weekly street fair features art, entertainment, shopping, and food. And don’t forget — the nearby Palm Springs Art Museum also has free admission tonight starting at 5 p.m.

2024 Summer Cabaret Series: Brent Barret and Bernie Blanks
7 p.m. | CV Rep Theatre
Enjoy this week’s Summer Cabaret offering from Brent Barrett and Bernie Blanks. ($50)

SAVE THE DATE

• Desert Wildlife Center Breakfast Fundraiser on Saturday.
  
  
• City of Palm Springs Parking Community Meeting on July 22 at City Hall.
  
  
• Merienda Filipino Halo-Halo workshop at Play Lounge & Cafe on July 28.
  
  
• Mrs. Frisky’s Cats & Eccles Cakes Night at Frisky Business Cat Cafe on Aug. 2.
  
  
• Summer Sunday: Weaving Patterns at the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum on Aug. 4.
  
  
• The Great Catsby Book Club at Frisky Business on Aug. 8.
  
  
• SplashHouse on Aug. 9 to Aug. 11 and Aug. 16 to Aug. 18.

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AND FINALLY …

Three years after clearing some of the final hurdles at City Hall, developers of a housing project in South Palm Springs have begun clearing land that the homes will sit on. Among the first targets of the heavy equipment appears to be a tree that neighbors hoped would be saved.

Driving the news: The Canyon View Courts project — situated on 13.5 acres at the southwest corner of East Palm Canyon Drive and Matthew Drive — will consist of 80 homes on land between the Backstreet Art District and Rimrock Plaza. It received final approval from the City Council in July 2021, but development was delayed while a nearby storm water project was completed.

• Recently, developers began to clear the land and created a construction entrance.

At issue: The project came into question by conservation groups concerned that the loss of native vegetation associated with building the homes would negatively impact the habitat of the endangered Casey’s June beetle population on the property. 

• It was allowed to move forward after additional conditions were adopted aimed at protecting the beetles.

Yes, but: Neighbors of the project had hoped a tree reported to be 50 years old, located at the corner of South Linden Way and East Matthew Drive, would also be spared. Alas, it was not, and neither was vegetation that surrounded it.

Bottom line: While the clearing is underway, a final landscape design plan for the project is yet to be adopted. That plan should include details about how the developer intends to replace the tree, the surrounding vegetation, and more.

Language in Planning Commission documents show the developer has committed to “… additional native landscaping and trees to provide [a] landscaped buffer to the perimeter of the project” and “(t)wo additional shaded grove seating areas and two succulent gardens, all accessible to the public.”