North Hollywood Best Business Spotlight: The Federal

To say 2020 has been a tough year for The Federal would be an understatement. As with so many restaurants and bars, navigating shifting health orders amidst a raging pandemic has caused them to constantly modify their flight plan and make tough decisions.

“Going from open, to delivering takeout, to back open inside, to outdoor only, to now back to where we were in March, having to pivot multiple times has been a challenge,” general manager Steve Simon told Patch. “We went from almost 100 staff members to 3, building back up to 30, and then dropping back down again.”

Through it all, though, the NoHo staple has continued to give their loyal customers a rewarding experience. Readers highlighted the staff’s friendly service and the consistently good food, while praising the restaurant's to adapt at every turn.

It's a tough environment out there, and there are very few dining/drink options,” one reader said. “The Federal adjusted, providing safe indoor seating when that was an option, then creating a great patio space. They've continued to serve their neighborhood well.”

Born and raised in North Hollywood, Simon takes pride in the fact that his bar has become a central hub of activity in the community. Back when customers could flow freely, Saturdays were his favorite nights, as a variety of patrons would walk through the door to have a drink with friends, family, or strangers.

“There was usually a show at the El Portal, so you’d get the older crowd who was going to a matinee early,” he said. “And then as the night goes on, you’d get married couples coming out with their kids and having dinner, to a younger, hipper crowd that was going to go to a nightclub at midnight. It seemed like the whole neighborhood would come in at different times.”

The Federal maintained its central status this year, even after the order came to move operations outdoors. Utilizing its large parking lot, the restaurant set up three large tents where patrons could dine, allowing for plenty of space between neighboring tables.

"In the daytime, when you were going to the tables, you could tell the people who hadn’t been out in a while, and just how important it was to get out and see other people,” he said. "Whether it was Saturday night or Monday afternoon, everybody could socially distance, because of the layout, you could be 20 feet away from the nearest diner.”

A safe dining atmosphere isn’t the only thing the Federal provided. During the initial wave of shutdowns, the restaurant supplied grocery bags and weekly dinners for staff members. Since then, they’ve opened their stage for musicians to host live streamed shows or record videos, and just recently held a toy drive with Hands 4 Hope in their parking lot.

“Our entire management staff and most of our employees live in the area,” he said. “We’re all from North Hollywood, we take pride in being a part of the community. We just hope to be there for everybody in 2021 and moving forward.”