The Operation

The Operation has no name. But it is certainly an operation. Set up along a significant proportion of the sidewalk outside North Hollywood Metro Station, The Operation is no one singular thing.

They sell everything from pupusas, crispy tacos dorados, all variety of panaderia goods. Guisados stewing in small vats. Roasted plantains ready to eat whole. So very sweet. They sell cold drinks from a cooler with ice and warm coffee from a catering urn. They sell snacks and treats. You can buy various clothing items on the side also. There’s a better price to be had here for a candy bar than you’ll find at the gigantic CVS recently opened next door casting a shadow across The Operation. But CVS couldn’t hope to compete at this game.

It takes a significant number of staff to run The Operation. One dealing with dry goods / snacks / bakery items. At least two manning the grill. One taking care of financial transactions. Another seemingly a ‘Unit’ crew of sorts, to use the film term. The Operation exists in a vast tent that needs to be set up and broken down each day. They have sheer black sheets hanging across the entire backside on the edge of the busy road, shielding the activity inside from any view or disturbance from the thoroughfare directly adjacent. They are several tents wide. The Operation cannot be contained to one mere tent.

Customers of The Operation include everyone commuting for a living. They’re headed from this major transport hub to any and all corners of Los Angeles. But first they have to stop to eat to prepare for the day that is to come. Some grab a quick bite. The bakery items are hearty and filling and easily available to grab-and-go. More still opt for the sit-down dining experience. The Operation contains tables within that can seat up to 12 at a time. The breakfast looks like it’s modeled after a homestyle Mexican feast. Protein, beans, masa in any form will be in there somewhere. It seems to me to be a lot but then I’m not about to go work as hard as the people who fortify themselves with this fine feast before going about their days in the world.

Early, it’s always early. The Operation has packed down and disappeared by lunchtime. No trace left other than a sidewalk space that is cleaner than those around it. This place is for a certain demographic. I wonder if food like this exists as a common staple in the countries that many of these commuters are originally from? Here in North Hollywood, even as the multicultural melting pot that it is, The Operation stands out as a location of diversity.

I hope the people that are running The Operation are experiencing fulfilling success from their endeavors. This is so much work. Merely subsisting on the results seems like a lot of effort for the amount of reward. But The Operation is full of one thing as plentiful as the multitude of foods that flow from one end of the tents to the other, and that is smiles. The people seem happy. They’re definitely doing a fine job. I can tell as I watch customers file from the dining area to dump their disposable serving ware into trash containers and head off to the bus or train lines. They’ve been given a great measure of satisfaction from their early morning dining experience. And this seems enough to keep The Operation going for another day.