"A huge lifeline came when the Lower Polk Community Benefit District applied for — and, eventually received — permission from the city to close Austin Alley, a narrow street off Polk that runs directly next to El Lopo. Called Lower Polk Plaza, its intention, says Jimmy Consos, a co-owner of the nearby historic diner the Grubstake, is to help out five local restaurants, all of which would otherwise be relegated to takeout only given the neighborhood’s narrow sidewalks." - Eve Batey