"Barcito, DTLA’s innovative Argentine bar/restaurant founded by Andrea Borgen, will close permanently on June 25. Borgen opened the charming spot in 2015 after taking out a small business loan. She was 26 at the time, had never previously owned a restaurant, and managed to establish a beloved neighborhood destination with small plates, an expansive wine list, and cocktails. Borgen transformed Barcito into a takeout/wine shop and market throughout the pandemic, and in a Medium post published yesterday outlined her various reasons for the shutter, which was not just about one thing. Borgen factored in the ups and downs of restaurant ownership, the weariness of COVID-19 burnout, frustrations with the California Restaurant Association’s late 2020 push to reopen versus relief, the long struggle to bridge the pay gap between the front and back-of-house staff, and commitment to keep her employee’s healthcare during a time when over 600,000 Americans died of the coronavirus within 15 months. Borgen will host a final outdoor goodbye drink session on June 26 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m." - Mona Holmes
