Business is booming at the Roadrunner Grab’n’Go deli outside Joshua Tree national park. Demand for sandwiches, mezze boxes and local vegan cheese has remained high through the summer, even as temperatures soar in a desert landscape that now attracts more than 3 million visitors each year.
But the shop’s co-owner, Merilee Kuchon, has a problem. Her employees, many of whom grew up here, are struggling to afford to stay. Over the past year, she’s lost at least a dozen staff, driven out by local rental prices that have soared during the pandemic. Now, she’s worried about hiring enough employees to keep the shop going when even more tourists return in the fall.
Gentrification is nothing new in Joshua Tree. For years, this small desert town, located a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, has attracted bohemians, dropouts and artists in search of a comparatively affordable life and proximity to nature. The national park and its famous landscapes have steadily drawn more visitors every year.
