By Daniel Miller | LA Times
McDonald’s. Yoshinoya. El Pollo Loco. Little Caesars. Panda Express. Taco Bell. And not a supermarket in sight.
On a six-lane stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard that thrums with traffic, the dining options within view highlighted a problem South Los Angeles has long faced — and one that could worsen when the minimum wage for fast-food workers is boosted from $16 to $20 on April 1.
About 40% of South L.A. residents live in a food desert, according to USC’s Institute for Food System Equity. That means they reside in an area where there is limited access to affordable, healthy food because there is no supermarket nearby. For many people in the 51-square-mile region, fast food plays a major role in daily nutrition. And it is likely to get more expensive as chains are planning to raise prices to partially offset increased labor costs as a result of the new wage law.
Sitting in her car in the shadow of the McDonald’s on Crenshaw, Roshonda Baker was angry about the looming price hikes, which are anticipated to largely be in the range of 4% to 5%.
“I can definitely see it taking an effect on families,” said Baker, 41, a caretaker for psychiatric patients. “Kids do want fast food — they don’t really care for a home-cooked meal. So … you have to deal with an upset child who can’t get it if you can’t afford it.”
Read more at: LA Times
