Thursday, July 24, 2008

Fast Food City

Panel OKs one-year ban on new fast-food restaurants in South L.A. - Los Angeles Times

When you want something to eat...and fast...you'll find a whole lot of fast food options in South L.A. In fact,  here is where you will find the highest concentration of fast-food restaurants.

The Los Angeles City Council committee wants to encourage more sit-down restaurants and grocery stores to open in the area, so they have come up with a proposal to put a 1-year moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in the area.

So, how exactly do you DEFINE a fast-food restaurant? The measure proposed defines it as "any establishment which dispenses food for consumption on or off the premises, and which has the following characteristics: a limited menu, items prepared in advance or prepared or heated quickly, no table orders and food served in disposable wrapping or containers."

But don't worry Jared, the measure calls Subway a "fast-food casual" restaurants since it doesn't have heat lamps, drive-through windows and prepares fresh food to order.

It sounds like residents welcome the idea and blame their community's obesity problem on city planners who've  neglected them.

One thing I love about where I live...there's fast-food a short drive away whenever I want it. There's a nice selection of restaurants here. I am 5 minutes away from a Jerry's IGA, and 15 minutes away from 2 different Schnucks Grocery Stores. There's a Super-Walmart about 20 minutes away from me. So when it comes to food, I have no shortage of choices. And thanks to the cooking talents of my husband, I eat very well.

But, if all I had around me within a 20 minute driving range was fast-food chain after fast-food chain after fast-food chain after fast-food chain after fast-food chain after fast-food chain after fast-food chain after fast-food chain after fast-food chain after fast-food chain after fast-food chain...then I wouldn't be too thrilled about were I lived.

I think this is a step in the right direction for the residents of South L.A.

What do you think? MARYLYNNFORM me.

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