The Local Spot’s Menu Withstands Time
Josh Ransdell (35) is a third-generation restaurant owner, preceded by his aunt and grandmother. He has been running The Local Spot restaurant in Long Beach since he opened it in 2011. Like many other restaurants during the peak of the pandemic, Ransdell’s business struggled and had to close its doors for three months.
“At the time I lived in Orange County, so I would go there and find restaurants open for indoor dining, and I would come over here in Long Beach, and it was to-go only… I tried to do it and it just wasn’t profitable,” said Ransdell. “People were so afraid.”
For Ransdell, the only way to reopen his doors and save his business was to acquire a loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Photo by Danielle Austin.
“It was still a scary thing to do, you know, to take on a loan. But we didn't know if the pandemic was going to get worse,” said Ransdell.
Now that they are operating at pre-pandemic levels, business is better overall in terms of foot traffic. Unfortunately, inflation in the United States economy has made it very hard to gauge whether or not The Local Spot is doing better financially than it was back in 2019 before the entirety of the pandemic began.
Despite the looming threat of inflation, prices at The Local Spot are still reasonable, especially for the size of the portions the customers receive.
For example, the “Poor Boy”, two freshly made biscuits with two savory sausage patties, smothered in creamy homemade gravy, is about the size of two medium fists. All that food along with a fresh cup of orange juice, comes out to around $17.00-$18.00 total after tax. The breakfast establishment just so happens to also give a ten percent discount to all Cal State students who walk through its doors.
Photo by Danielle Austin.
As far as the overall future of the business goes, when faced with the question of whether or not he had any major or minor concerns about it, Ransdell had this to say,
“After surviving the pandemic, you know, and weathering that storm I feel ok.” “A lot of the customers have been really supportive because they have seen a lot of businesses close.”
Ideally, Ransdell would like to expand his business in the future with more restaurant locations. The more imminent future for The Local Spot, on the other hand, sees Ransdell working out the painstaking details of a renovation. For example, he hopes to expand the awning on the left side of the building, bringing it past the outer railing of The Local Spot’s patio. The shopping center where the restaurant is located is also being brought out of the 1980s in terms of its overall style and infrastructure.
If you are looking for good food, large proportion sizes, and great prices, look no further than The Local Spot, located at 6200 Pacific Coast Highway B, Long Beach CA.