The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 109, No. 39 - September 24, 2020
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................13
Classifieds............................4
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Election 2020........................3
Film Review..........................6
Legals..................................12
Letters...................................2
Pets......................................14
Police Reports.....................2
Real Estate...........9-11,15,16
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Sunny
73˚/62˚
Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
74˚/61˚
Sunday
Sunny
76˚/63˚
Have a Rocking Good Time And
Give Towards Our Kid’s Future
Rock & Brews is proud to partner with the Education Foundation during their opening day. One hundred percent of all dine-in sales will benefit the El Segundo Education Foundation on September 24 from
3:00-9:00 pm. They can't wait to get back to serving those who rock. Reservations encouraged. Photo courtesy El Segundo Chamber of Commerce.
Rock & Brews is Back for an Encore
Story and Photos by Chase Maser
El Segundo hasn’t felt the same since
mid-March.
There’s a silence to the main drag that
lingers in the air like a heavy fog. Almost as
if the pulse of the town has been thrown into
arrhythmia, picking up and slowing down as
each day passes. But now, heading into the
fall season, the pace is smoothing out. That
dense shroud is breaking apart, and once the
eyes resettle, the community will be pleased
to see a familiar face staring back at them.
Located on the corner of Main St. and
Franklin Ave., Rock & Brews has always
been the hub of El Segundo’s nightlife. With
classic rock songs and a fun, electric atmosphere,
a crowd of diners spilling out into
the road was a normal occurrence. However,
over the past five months, the location has
been shut down longer than other restaurants
on the strip—but why?
According to Rock & Brews CEO and
Partner, Adam Goldberg, the governmentmandated
shutdown of restaurants throughout
Los Angeles County—due to COVID-19—
really hit their El Segundo location the hardest.
“It’s been heart-wrenching for us as a
company. We had to lay-off or furlough well
over 50 people—some that have been with us
for ten years since we opened.” And caring for
employees during the pandemic hasn’t been
the only challenge—the El Segundo location
has also undergone a change in leadership.
The Rock & Brews franchise is under the
umbrella of Rock & Brews Holdings LLC,
which was founded by KISS icons Gene Simmons
and Paul Stanley, as well as restaurateur
Michael Zislis and other industry veterans.
At first, some residents may think that
new ownership means a new perspective of
the restaurant, but Mayberry is essentially
serving as a licensee of the franchise, and
the corporate team is empowering the new
owners with the right tools to continue the
Rock & Brews brand in a community that
gives it full support.
That said, there are some structural changes
to the restaurant that diners can expect to see
once they arrive on the 24th. For starters,
Rock & Brews is in full compliance with
health and safety guidelines instructed by the
Although—accounting for the extended delay
in reopening—a new ownership group called
Mayberry Beer Garden LLC has swooped
in at the 11th hour to resurrect the single
location from the dead and revitalize it with
a brand new look.
“The new owners of this location include a
group of family and friends from El Segundo
and the South Bay area that wanted to see
this place reopen,” says Goldberg. “Working
together, none of us wanted to see this place
sitting closed for too long, and now that
things are picking back up, we’re shooting
for a grand reopening on September 24th.” See Rock & Brews, page 6
AYSO Needs Volunteers
ASAP to Get the Ball Rolling
By Rob McCarthy
AYSO soccer teams could start practicing
soon, though how many El Segundo
boys and girls play this season is yet to
be determined. Region 92 Commissioner
Shad McFadden said this week, more
than 500 players are registered to play
this fall. However, there aren’t enough
coaches and parent volunteers for that
many kids.
According to McFadden, volunteers are
needed to be safety marshals for team
practices, tentatively set to begin around
October 15. The marshals will enforce
social distancing and other team-sport
rules from the Los Angeles County Health
Department. No experience with soccer
is necessary to help with on-field safety.
The El Segundo AYSO opened registration
in May, and 600 players enrolled,
according to McFadden. Over the summer,
the number fell to about 550 as
families decided not to play soccer this
fall. Likewise, the number of parents
who’ve offered to coach and volunteer
is way down. AYSO has two weeks to
recruit 100 people willing to become
safety monitors, team moms and coaches.
This won’t be a season like any other
in Region 92’s history. Some families
have requested refunds. Others opted to
sit out the fall soccer season. “And there
are those who are ready to roll as soon as
See AYSO, page 12