Beverly Hills Restaurant Caught Planning Secret Party for New Year's Eve

By Dana Cruz First Posted: Dec 28, 2020 04:55 AM EST

(Photo : Free-Photos from Pixabay )

A Beverly Hills restaurant known to be a celebrity hangout was busted for trying to hold a secret party for New Year's Eve that would defy COVID-19 restrictions.

La Scala, a gourmet restaurant in Beverly Hills reportedly placed invitations in carry-out bags to find out if customers would be interested in a "speakeasy" or secret party, reported NBC Los Angeles.

"We are currently taking reservations for New Year's Eve dinner. Inside," the invitation said. The restaurant also said to keep it "discreet" and urged people to tell their friends.

When the word got out on social media, Beverly Hills police acted quickly to extinguish the secret party.

In a tweet, the police assure people they were handing the matter.

Beverly Hills Public Information Officer Keith Sterling said the city had made contact with the representatives of La Scala on Thursday to confirm the conditions of the county's health order.

Los Angeles has been trying to limit the coronavirus surge that put significant strain on local hospitals.

La Scala's Secret Party Violates Rules on Indoor Dining

In a statement to Los Angeles Times, the authorities acknowledged the people have been trying to make business work at the incredibly trying time.

However, it would sacrifice current rules that keep people safe.

The authorities said the gathering would be in violation of Los Angeles' health orders that prohibits in-person dining amid the surge of COVID-19 cases.

People Mock La Scala for NYE Event

Given the possible health risks that come with the not-so-secret event, the news received backlash from several parts of Los Angeles.

This is especially since the state of California already surpassed 2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19-the first U.S. state to do so.

According to New York Post, many people online marveled at the restaurant's seemingly public ay of letting people know about the gathering despite it breaking the rules.

Poking fun at the invitation, actor Kevin Jordan said in a tweet: "I heard La Scala in Beverly Hills is planning a super spreader. They want to keep it quiet so shhhhhhhhh. You didn't hear it from me."

ABC 7 also noted in its report that the restaurant's Instagram feed had been filled with comments describing the secret party plan as "selfish and destructive" or "disgusting."

Marcel Logan of West Hollywood was surprised to hear this news and pointed out that Beverly Hills was supposed to be under a stay-at-home order amid the holidays.

"I personally don't think it's a good idea. Both my parents had COVID. We just got out of the hospital," Logan said.

He also said that if people had taken the pandemic seriously, people could have already held more indoor parties when the time was right, only that wasn't the case.

Newsom Pleads Public to Avoid Gatherings

After news of his French Laundry gathering broke out in November, people started having less trust on Governor Gavin Newsom.

But he still pleaded with the public not to gather over the holidays.

"The peril will be a surge on top of a surge," he said.

Representatives to La Scala's management did not respond to requests for comment but it previously complained that the health restrictions had been hurting its restaurants.

Its website also said it was closed on Christmas Day and the day after, as well as on New Year's Eve.

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