A gas leak in downtown San Luis Obispo forced evacuations, road closures and the cancellation of the city's popular Thursday night Farmers' Market, impacting hundreds of residents and local businesses.
According to Southern California Gas Company, crews discovered the leak around 11 a.m. Thursday near 746 Higuera Street while conducting infrastructure survey work in the area.
Two nearby businesses were initially evacuated as a precaution, including Kiko Restaurant & Pisco Bar at the end of Mission Mall.
"We were coming in the morning to open the restaurant for the prep of the day, and we found out there was a leak right in front of Mission Mall," said owner Kiko Pomalaza.
The City of San Luis Obispo said that as SoCalGas crews investigated, a mechanical or fluid connector failed, causing an increase in the amount of natural gas being released.
In response, approximately 300 people were evacuated and multiple streets in the downtown area were closed. Crews stopped the leak around 5:15 p.m., and evacuation orders and road closures were lifted shortly after 7 p.m.
The disruption forced several businesses to close during one of the busiest times of the week.
"We definitely couldn't open the restaurant for happy hour," Pomalaza said.
The emergency also led city officials to cancel the Downtown SLO Farmers' Market, a weekly event that typically attracts between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors and serves as a major source of revenue for many vendors and restaurants.
"Farmers' Market is probably approaching half of our revenue for the week. It's a huge chunk of business for us," said Michael Milch, owner of Salty Bagel.
"We build our week around Farmers' Market. It is our number one thing on a weekly basis," added Brian Appiano, owner of Rib Line.
Salty Bagel and Rib Line are among more than 100 vendors that set up along Higuera Street each Thursday. After spending hours preparing food and supplies for the event, both businesses were left scrambling when the market was called off.
"We have a lot of meat; what are we going to do?" Appiano recalled thinking.
Both businesses turned to social media, encouraging customers to visit their storefronts instead. Owners said the community responded in a big way.
"We sold like 170 sandwiches before 7 o'clock. It was crazy," Appiano said.
"It was great. It turned a pretty stressful day into something that was memorable, and that I appreciate," Milch said.
The Downtown SLO Farmers' Market is expected to return to its regular schedule Thursday, October 15.
