A Californian town laid low by cheap oil

From:  BBC

By Regan Morris BBC News, Los Angeles

 

11 July 2016

Gil Edmondson at Zingo's where business is down 40%

It used to be tough to get a table for breakfast at Zingo's Cafe in Bakersfield. 

Truckers and young "roughnecks" from the oil fields packed the diner, which is known for its biscuits and gravy and massive portions. 

But business is down 40% "since the oil went to hell" over the last 18 months, says Gil Edmondson, who owns Zingo's with his wife. 

"If there's nothing going on at the oil fields, then there's not much going on here," says Edmondson. "That's our customers."MORE