Who Pays for My Stolen Dreams? A Restaurant Owner’s Demand for Accountability

People walk past a closed restaurant amid pandemic restrictions and lockdowns in Los Angeles on Dec. 8, 2020. Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

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For 13 years, I poured my heart into Sage Regenerative Kitchen, my Los Angeles chain of five restaurants that employed 350 people and nourished communities with sustainable farm-to-table and local meals. By early 2020, I was poised to sell for $25 million, securing a legacy for my four young children.