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Six months after the Palisades fire roared down Pacific Coast Highway, the Country Kitchen in Malibu is open for business, but many customers have yet to return.

“Things are better, but if you compare it to last year, it’s still probably 25% less business,” said Joel Ruiz, who has worked at the Country Kitchen for 40 years.

Joel Ruiz works at the Country Kitchen on PCH as businesses reopen after being closed due to the Palisades fire.

Nearly 800 structures were lost in Malibu, including the Reel Inn, a seafood restaurant just a few miles down the road from the Country Kitchen.

The businesses neighboring the Country Kitchen in the strip mall along PCH have all had to adapt to the aftermath of the fire.