Compton business owners say they lost thousands of dollars when Kendrick Lamar filmed 'Not Like Us' video in his hometown

Saturdays are usually busy for Alma's Place, a Southern-food restaurant in Compton across from the city courthouse.

But about an hour after opening on June 22, Corinna Pleasant, who runs the business with her mother, Alma, noticed no customers coming in. Their parking lot, which they share with other small businesses in a mall, was filled with cars and chaos as hundreds of people streamed into the courthouse to catch a glimpse of rap star Kendrick Lamar, who was there to film. Filming the music video for the song “Not Like Us”.

Alma Place and other nearby businesses say they lost thousands of dollars that day. The business owners blame city officials for not giving them any notice about the video, which eventually forced them to shut down operations. Now they are asking Lamar, his production company, PJ Lang, or the city to compensate them for their losses.

“It was really frustrating to have electricity and gas,” Pleasant said. “I just run everything and I don’t make any money. I was there for nothing, because the little money I made I had to pay my staff.”

Pleasant said if she had been notified ahead of time, she could have closed the venue earlier for the day or set up a pop-up tent with a special menu.

She estimates she lost between $1,800 and $2,200 that day. Other business owners in the area told similar stories in testimony before the city council and in interviews with The Times.

A Compton spokesperson said in a statement that the city will identify “opportunities to more effectively engage with our community” in the future.

“Compton businesses, especially small businesses, are the backbone of our city,” the statement said. “We want to continue to maintain an open line of communication and do everything we can to support economic growth.”

Representatives for Lamar and pgLang did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Rumors spread about Lamar's video being filmed. circulating on the internet Since at least June 17, anticipation has been building for the rapper to make an appearance in his hometown after his highly publicized appearance. Feud with Drake.

Read more: Compton Fans Celebrate Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' Win: Compton Fans Come Out to Film Music Video

Compton officials issued a filming permit certificate on June 21 for several locations downtown: the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the courthouse, Compton Square and the parking structure, Perfect Burger On Rosecrans Street, Compton College, Central Street, Willowbrook Street and Compton Street.

The next day, more than 700 people arrived at the courthouse to appear in the video. The nearby parking lot was so crowded that some people parked their cars on the grass.

Lamar began filming at Tam's Burgers and other spots in the early afternoon before heading to the courthouse around 3 p.m., where a large crowd was waiting for him.

Pleasant had closed her restaurant hours earlier. Onlookers flooded into the mall parking lot, turning into a one-way street, blocking access to fire escapes and dumpsters and trapping vehicles that were already parked, she said. Customers, many of whom drive from Riverside and Orange County to eat at Alma Place on weekends, turned around and left.

“A day matters,” Pleasant says. “It matters when you’re out there, wasting your time. It matters when your Edison bill is $1,000. It matters when a two-week salary for three people is close to $3,000. It matters when gas is $800. You’re out there, and all this stuff is going on, and you have nothing to show for it.”

Adelfo Antonio Garcia, co-owner of Sunny Express Gourmet Fast Food, said he lost about $2,000 that day as well. Customers still think the restaurant is closed on Saturdays.

Garcia described the situation as frustrating because his restaurant was already struggling to make ends meet. He said the city's lack of communication was unacceptable.

“The people who are suffering are the small business owners,” he said in Spanish.

Read more: This must be Compton.

Alma Pleasant attended a city council meeting the following Tuesday to share her frustration with city officials, who she said needed to “get their act together.”

“I am here because three things affected me on Saturday,” she said during her public comment. “And when those three things affect me, I move with all my strength. One, my children. Two, my money. And three, my food.”

According to Kathryn Arnold, a producer and entertainment consultant not affiliated with Lamarr, production companies are not required to pay damages to companies that have been harmed. However, filmmakers sometimes compensate companies as a sign of goodwill.

“Everyone performs better when there is clear communication,” Arnold said. “Nobody likes to be surprised by something like that.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.