Brief

Councilmember Monica Rodriguez moved to waive participation fees for the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board's Dine LA program, which promotes dining tourism in the city. The Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee approved the motion in October 2025, and the full Council adopted it 14-0-1 on November 4, 2025. The Mayor did not veto the measure. The matter has since returned to committee with additional City Tourism Department documentation for ongoing oversight or implementation.

Full summary

Councilmember Monica Rodriguez introduced this motion in October 2025 to eliminate the fee that restaurants pay to participate in Dine LA, a twice-yearly dining promotion run by the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board (LATCB). Dine LA, which LATCB launched in 2008, runs for two weeks at a time and features specially priced prix fixe lunch and dinner menus at participating restaurants citywide. By summer 2025, the program had grown to include 480 restaurants across 88 neighborhoods representing 33 global cuisines, with 80 new participants joining that cycle. The motion's core concern is equity among restaurant sizes. LATCB charges restaurants a participation fee to help offset the program's marketing costs, but Rodriguez argued that fee creates a barrier that favors larger establishments and effectively excludes many smaller, family-owned restaurants. With numerous legacy restaurants having closed in recent years, she framed the fee waiver as a way to broaden access to the promotional program and better reflect the full diversity of Los Angeles's dining scene. The motion directed the City Tourism Department to work with LATCB to eliminate the fee for participating restaurants. The Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee approved the motion on October 14, 2025, and the full City Council adopted it 14-0-1 on November 4, 2025. The measure was transmitted to the Mayor on November 5, 2025, and became final on November 17, 2025, after no mayoral veto was issued. Since adoption, the City Tourism Department has submitted follow-up documentation to the committee on two occasions — February 11 and June 23, 2026 — both referred to the Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee for review. This ongoing reporting suggests the committee is tracking implementation of the fee waiver. The file remains open and active in committee.

Activity (11)

• 2026-06-24 City Tourism Department document(s) referred to Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee.
• 2026-06-23 Document submitted by City Tourism Department, dated June 23, 2026.
• 2026-02-13 City Tourism Department document(s) referred to Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee.
• 2026-02-11 Document submitted by City Tourism Department, dated February 11, 2026.
• 2025-11-17 Council action final.
• 2025-11-05 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is November 17, 2025.
• 2025-11-04 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2025-10-31 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on November 4, 2025.
• 2025-10-14 Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee approved item(s) .
• 2025-10-10 Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on October 14, 2025.
• 2025-10-07 Motion referred to Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee.

Documents (5)

• 2026-06-23 Report from City Tourism Department · report
• 2026-02-11 Report from City Tourism Department · report
• 2025-11-17 Mayor Concurrence/Council Action · other
• 2025-10-28 Report from Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee · report
• 2025-10-07 Motion · motion

Council votes (1)

• 2025-11-04 Vote — 14-0-1 · Regular