Saturdays are typically busy days at Alma's Place, a Southern food restaurant in Compton across from the city's courthouse.
But about an hour after opening on June 22, Corina Pleasant, who runs the business with her mother Alma, noticed no customers coming in. Her parking lot, which is shared with other small businesses in a strip mall, was overrun with cars and chaos as hundreds of people flocked to the courthouse to see rap star Kendrick Lamar, who was there to film the music video for “Not Like Us.”
Alma's Place and other nearby businesses say they lost thousands of dollars that day. The business owners blame city officials for failing to notify them about the video shoot, which ultimately forced them to shut down their operations. They are now asking Lamar, the production company pgLang or the city to compensate them for their losses.
Daryl Hurlic places a morning order at Alma's Place on July 11 in Compton.
(Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times)
“It was really discouraging having electricity and gas,” Pleasant said. “I was just doing everything and not making any money. I was literally there for nothing, because the little money I was making was going to pay my staff.”
Pleasant said that if he had been informed in advance, he could have preemptively closed that day or set up a temporary tent with a special menu.
He estimates he lost between $1,800 and $2,200 that day. Other business owners in the area told similar stories in testimony to City Hall and in interviews with The Times.
A Compton city spokesperson said in a statement that the city would identify “opportunities for more efficient communication about filming permits with our community” in the future.
“Compton businesses, especially small businesses, are the backbone of our city,” the statement said. “We want to continue to maintain an open line of communication and do everything we can to support economic growth.”
Representatives for Lamar and pgLang did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
There were rumors about Lamar's video filming. circulating online since at least June 17, creating anticipation for the rapper's appearance in his hometown following his highly publicized feud with Drake.
On June 21, Compton officials issued a filming permit certificate for several downtown locations: the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial at the courthouse, Compton Courtyard and parking structure, Tam's Burgers on Rosecrans Avenue, Compton College, Central Avenue, Willowbrook Avenue and Compton Boulevard.
The next day, more than 700 people arrived at the courthouse to appear in the video. The nearby parking lots were packed with people and some people even parked their vehicles on the grass.
Lamar began filming at Tam's Burgers and other areas early in the afternoon before heading to the courthouse around 3 p.m., where a large crowd was waiting for him.
Pleasant closed his restaurant hours earlier. Onlookers had overflowed into the mall's parking lot, turning it into a one-way street, blocking access to fire lanes and dumpsters and trapping vehicles that were already parked, he said. Customers, many of whom typically drive from Riverside and Orange County to dine at Alma's Place on weekends, turned around and left.
“One day does matter,” Pleasant said. “It does matter when you’re there and you’re wasting your time. It does matter when your Edison bill is $1,000. It does matter when two weeks’ pay for three people is almost $3,000. It does matter when gas is $800. You’re there, all these things are running, and you have nothing to show for it.”
Adelfo Antonio Garcia, co-owner of Sunny Express Gourmet Fast Food, said he also lost about $2,000 that day. And customers still believe he is closed on Saturdays.
Garcia said the situation was frustrating because his restaurant was already struggling to stay afloat. The lack of communication from the city was unacceptable, he said.
“Those who suffer are the small business owners,” he said.
Alma Pleasant attended a City Council meeting the following Tuesday to share her disappointment with city officials, who she said needed to “resolve their issues.”
“I’m here because three things affected me on Saturday,” he said during a public comment. “And when those three things affect me, I go with all my strength. One, my children. Two, my money. Three, my food.”
According to Kathryn Arnold, a producer and entertainment consultant not affiliated with Lamar, production companies are under no obligation to pay affected companies. However, filmmakers sometimes compensate companies as a show of goodwill.
“Everyone behaves better when there is clear communication,” Arnold said. “No one likes to be caught off guard by something like that.”
