By Kayla Anderson
Battle Born Media

Restaurants in Hawthorne that are already designed for takeout service such as Port of Subs, McDonald’s, and Pepper’s Place have been able to continue business like normal even in the times of COVID-19.
“We’ve always been takeout and have only had outdoor seating grab ‘n go walk-up style,” says Pepper’s owner Dede Hegg. She says that only one person can be at the walk-up window at a time, though, and there is no onsite dining unless people promise to enjoy their meals six feet apart from each other. The bathrooms are also temporarily closed since Pepper’s doesn’t have the bandwidth to service them after every customer.
However, Hegg says that the worst thing about the pandemic is getting the supplies they need from the warehouse. When their food distributor gets backed up then it creates a domino effect down to the local restaurants. Hegg says that Pepper’s has the most trouble getting produce and meat and she’s heard that Port of Subs down the road has also had issues with keeping deli meat and cheeses in stock.
As one of Hawthorne’s more popular dining establishments, especially for through travelers, Pepper’s Place also adjusted its hours a bit to close a little bit earlier on Fridays or until supplies run out.
“Other than that, nothing has really changed. We’ve always stayed busy, but it seems like now we have more travelers coming through,” Hegg says.
Pepper’s Place has always been closed on the weekends so that the Hegg’s can spend time with their two young children and since the couple is always at the restaurant Monday through Friday, they have not had to deal with furloughing employees during the COVID-19 situation.
The Hegg’s have also always been adamantly proud of their specialty dishes and the cleanliness of their kitchen.
“We wear gloves and bleach and sanitize as that awesome law has been around for decades,” Pepper’s Place posted to its Facebook page on March 17.
Pepper’s Place has been in business since 2013 and is known for its Patriot Burger, Mushroom Philly, Porker, Cali Burrito, and Stud Spud- a dish loaded with pulled pork fries. Located at 1005 C Street in Hawthorne, Pepper’s Place is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.