On Jan. 7, 2025, the Los Angeles fires caused significant structural damage to residential and commercial communities. The wildfires were fully contained by Jan. 31, but the county continues to feel the impacts of the disaster. The Los Angeles County governing body estimates that over 6,800 businesses and more than 47,000 workers were directly affected by the wildfires, and between 28,000 and 55,000 employment years are predicted to be influenced. Many stores like Paliskates and Flour Pizzeria & Cafe are undergoing the rebuilding and relocating process while continuing to honor their community roots.
Founded by Erica Simpson, Paliskates has been a key part of the Palisades community since 1999. Paliskates is primarily a skate shop and sells items such as hoodies, skateboards and hats. Jasper Nemeth, an employee at Paliskates, emphasized that the community has always been important to the business.
“We know all of our customers super well. We were such a tight-knit community,” Nemeth said. “After the fires, everybody separated.”
Following the wildfires, Paliskates hosted events like the Paliskates Fire Relief Skate Jam and partnered with celebrities like Avril Lavigne to raise money for rebuilding efforts. On Nov. 14, Paliskates was able to open a new location in Brentwood, which has allowed reconnection for the Palisades community.
“Being in Brentwood, we’ve rekindled with a lot of people we haven’t seen in a long time,” Nemeth said. “We have new Paliskates merch, such as our Paliskates forever, and hopefully we will be back in the Palisades soon.”
Similar to Paliskates, Flour Pizzeria & Cafe has also emphasized connection since their opening in 2023. Coby Mendelson, an employee at Flour Pizzeria & Cafe, explained that community was a key aspect of their store in the Palisades.
“We had artisanal coffee and our dough recipes — amazing.” Mendelson said. “But what was really great about it was the community.”
After the fires, Flour Pizzeria & Cafe was able to open a location in Brentwood. This store was initially going to be their second location, but due to the wildfires it became their only one. Despite operating from a different neighborhood, Flour Pizzeria & Cafe continues to find ways to honor their Palisades community.
“We are reaching out to old regulars, and a lot of them have continued to come,” Mendelson said. “Thankfully our business has grown quite a bit since then. The Palisades community is still very much ingrained in what we do, just in a different location.”
While Flour Pizzeria & Cafe and Paliskates have honored their community while rebuilding and relocating, businesses like Good Neighbor Bar and Chez Mia have supported their communities by creating spaces for reconnection and aid. Around two months before the Los Angeles wildfires began, Good Neighbor Bar opened in Altadena. Now, after the wildfires, Good Neighbor Bar has become a gathering place for those affected by the fires. As with Good Neighbor Bar, Chez Mia has also reached out to their community following the wildfires. Marissa Hermer, who opened the restaurant in 2024, launched a food delivery service to feed families who were directly affected. Whether by reconnecting with past clients through rebuilding or reaching out to the survivors to offer support, community has played an integral role in recovery for both Palisades and Altadena businesses.
