The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #1583 - John Terzian & Craig Susser
Joe Rogan and John Terzian on restaurateurs Slam California’s COVID Rules, Warn Of Industry Collapse.
In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, featuring John Terzian and Narrator, Joe Rogan Experience #1583 - John Terzian & Craig Susser explores restaurateurs Slam California’s COVID Rules, Warn Of Industry Collapse Joe Rogan interviews Los Angeles restaurateurs John Terzian and Craig Susser about how California’s COVID-19 policies have devastated independent restaurants and hospitality workers. They describe spending hundreds of thousands to comply with health rules—plexiglass, HVAC upgrades, patios—only to be abruptly shut down with no data-driven justification or direct communication from officials.
At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Restaurateurs Slam California’s COVID Rules, Warn Of Industry Collapse
- Joe Rogan interviews Los Angeles restaurateurs John Terzian and Craig Susser about how California’s COVID-19 policies have devastated independent restaurants and hospitality workers. They describe spending hundreds of thousands to comply with health rules—plexiglass, HVAC upgrades, patios—only to be abruptly shut down with no data-driven justification or direct communication from officials.
- They argue that outdoor dining has been scapegoated despite minimal evidence of transmission, while higher‑risk or politically connected sectors (air travel, big retail, film production, fast food chains) remain open. Both stress that the real human cost is borne by dishwashers, servers, kitchen staff, and small operators without lobbyists, not by politicians who still receive full salaries.
- The conversation broadens into concerns about government overreach, lack of course correction, mental health impacts, and the long‑term hollowing out of cities like Los Angeles and New York as residents and businesses flee to more business‑friendly states. They call for rapid testing, risk‑mitigated reopening, and far greater political accountability at the local and state level.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
7 ideasCOVID restrictions have disproportionately crushed independent restaurants while sparing better‑lobbied sectors.
Terzian and Susser note that small, independent restaurants—who typically have no lobbyists—have been fully shut while airlines, big box retail, film sets, and fast‑food chains (whose trade groups wield influence) remain open or thriving.
Outdoor dining bans in LA lack solid evidence and transparent justification.
They describe a court case where LA County claimed extensive data linking restaurants to spread but then could produce only indoor‑dining studies and no outdoor evidence; officials appealed instead of adjusting policy.
Policy made without practitioners leads to ineffective and damaging rules.
Neither restaurateur has ever been consulted by county or state health officials, despite running high‑volume venues and offering practical solutions like reduced capacity, curfews structured around service realities, and mandatory rapid testing at the door.
Harsh lockdowns may worsen transmission by pushing activity into unregulated settings.
They highlight that when regulated outdoor dining is banned, people simply gather at homes, hold private parties with questionable safeguards, and create underground dining—settings that are harder to monitor than licensed restaurants.
The collateral damage extends far beyond business owners to low‑wage workers and support industries.
Each restaurant supports dozens of employees plus drivers, janitors, suppliers, and nearby businesses; widespread closures mean unemployment, increased homelessness, and lost tax revenue for cities already struggling with encampments and social services.
Officials face little personal downside for bad decisions, which encourages overreach.
Politicians and senior health bureaucrats keep their salaries and jobs regardless of shutdown impacts; the guests argue that if their compensation depended on local economic health, incentives would align better with small‑business survival.
Consumers can still support local restaurants and should engage in local politics.
They urge people to order food, merch, and products directly from independents, and to bombard city, county, and state representatives with demands for evidence‑based rules, rapid testing adoption, and a clear, realistic reopening plan.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesWe’re the rule‑followers… and now we’re the ones being crushed.
— Craig Susser
They said they had six studies. They got to court and had nothing—every piece of evidence was for indoor dining.
— Craig Susser
I feel like LA is like a third‑world country right now… I’ve never seen anything like this.
— John Terzian
This is the first time people are realizing how important it is who the mayor is, who the governor is.
— Joe Rogan
These are the people that risked their lives to go to work to make sure people were being fed, and the way you’re paying them back is by shutting down their industry.
— Craig Susser
QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE
5 questionsWhat specific metrics or evidence should governments be required to show before closing an entire industry like restaurants?
Joe Rogan interviews Los Angeles restaurateurs John Terzian and Craig Susser about how California’s COVID-19 policies have devastated independent restaurants and hospitality workers. They describe spending hundreds of thousands to comply with health rules—plexiglass, HVAC upgrades, patios—only to be abruptly shut down with no data-driven justification or direct communication from officials.
How could a rapid‑testing‑at‑the‑door model realistically be scaled and regulated across cities without pricing out customers or smaller venues?
They argue that outdoor dining has been scapegoated despite minimal evidence of transmission, while higher‑risk or politically connected sectors (air travel, big retail, film production, fast food chains) remain open. Both stress that the real human cost is borne by dishwashers, servers, kitchen staff, and small operators without lobbyists, not by politicians who still receive full salaries.
Where is the line between legitimate public health protection and unconstitutional government overreach in emergencies like a pandemic?
The conversation broadens into concerns about government overreach, lack of course correction, mental health impacts, and the long‑term hollowing out of cities like Los Angeles and New York as residents and businesses flee to more business‑friendly states. They call for rapid testing, risk‑mitigated reopening, and far greater political accountability at the local and state level.
What long‑term cultural damage might occur if cities like Los Angeles permanently lose a large portion of their independent restaurants, clubs, and small venues?
How can local business owners and citizens organize effectively to hold mayors, governors, and health boards accountable for data‑light or hypocritical policies?
EVERY SPOKEN WORD
Install uListen for AI-powered chat & search across the full episode — Get Full Transcript
Get more out of YouTube videos.
High quality summaries for YouTube videos. Accurate transcripts to search & find moments. Powered by ChatGPT & Claude AI.
Add to Chrome