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Fast Food Maven ~ Restaurant news, trends and culture by Nancy Luna.

Archive for the 'restaurant closures' Category

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O.C. owners of Irvine Spectrum restaurant accused of tax fraud

November 16th, 2009, 9:24 pm by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

via the The Desert Sun and OCRegister.com

The Orange County owners of Maki Maki, a Japanese restaurant at the Irvine Spectrum Center, were arraigned Monday on charges of tax evasion and workers’ compensation insurance fraud.

Simon Sungheok Hong and his wife, Katie Kyanghee Shinn, both of Cota De Caza, are accused of shorting their insurance carrier and the state as much as $5.8 million with penalties and interest. The also own a restaurant in Rancho Mirage.

“The owners of Maki Maki are accused of underreporting their payroll to the State Compensation Insurance Fund and the Employment Development Department, as well as under-reporting sales tax revenue to the state Board of Equalization,” the Desert Sun reported.

Last month, Hong and Shinn abruptly closed both Maki Maki restaurants without notifying the landlords or paying employees of the businesses. The couple also vacated their home in the affluent Coto De Caza community of South Orange County.

To read more, CLICK HERE or HERE

Posted in: Fast food news • restaurant closures • | 39 Comments »

Frozen yogurt bubble bursting as closures mount

November 16th, 2009, 5:47 am by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
blissfroyo

Bliss Froyo in Orange is among several froyo shops that have closed in O.C. recently.

Orange County’s froyo craze appears to be crashing after nearly two years of steady, out-of-control growth.

Several shops have shuttered over the past few months with the latest closures occurring to one of the industry’s biggest brands — Red Mango. The chain, one of Pinkberry’s biggest rivals, closed shops in Fullerton and Laguna Niguel. (O.C. Froyo Frenzy map tracks openings & closures)

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Desserts • Fast food news • Mexican Food • Pinkberry • restaurant closures • • • • | 74 Comments »

4th Tustin District restaurant closes

October 27th, 2009, 4:18 pm by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

Bistro West closed Tuesday.

Bistro West, an upscale casual dining restaurant at the Tustin District shopping center, closed today.

Workers at the Tustin and Carlsbad restaurants confirmed the restaurant’s closure. The Tustin eatery, known for serving contemporary comfort foods,  is no longer listed on the Bistro West website. Both employees referred all questions to corporate executives, who could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The restaurant is the fourth eatery to shutter at the outdoor retail center, which debuted two years ago. The most recent closure was Go Roma, which will be replaced by Native Foods.

A Register food reviewer dubbed Bistro West an “ambitious” venture, having opened amid one of the worst downturns in the restaurant industry.

“The service is well trained and friendly. On my first visit, for lunch, the greeting is so warm that I get the feeling we might be the only people in the place — in this economic environment that is not unheard of. So I’m pleased to see a thriving dining room,” food writer Elizabeth Evans wrote in a review in March.

Stay tuned for an update on this closure as I learn more.

For a list of restaurant closures in Orange County, bookmark this O.C. Restaurant Closure list.

Other restaurant closure stories:

Posted in: restaurant closures • | 66 Comments »

Mel’s Drive-in closing in Seal Beach

October 20th, 2009, 11:25 am by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

After being open for nearly two years, Mel’s Drive-In is calling it quits in Seal Beach.

The diner opened at the landmark Parasol building at the Shops at Rossmoor in December 2007.  More than $2 million was spent to renovate the 39-year-old Parasol building to house the 1950s-style diner.

Read the full closure story: News - OCRegister.com.

More closures: O.C. Restaurants Out of Business

Posted in: Burger Joints • restaurant closures • | 20 Comments »

Downtown Santa Ana eatery to close

October 13th, 2009, 6:07 pm by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

jasonsdowntownJason’s Downtown Restaurant in Santa Ana is closing for dinner service at the end of the month.

The restaurant, instead, will focus on catering special events. Here’s the message posted on Jason’s website:

“We will be closing for Dinner Service as of Sat 10/31/09 (Last Dinner Friday 10/30/09). Jason’s Downtown ~ An Exclusive Venue Will be available for Private Events Seven Days a Week!”

Jason Kordas, a veteran in the catering business, opened the restaurant in downtown Santa Ana near the Artist Village in October 2007.

Other restaurant closures:

Posted in: Fast food news • restaurant closures | 15 Comments »

Straw Hat closes in Orange

October 7th, 2009, 8:54 pm by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
strawhat-closed

Lights out Wednesday night at Straw Hat in Orange

Straw Hat Pizza, which made a brief Orange County comeback, closed its restaurant in Orange.

I drove by the location tonight after reader Nancee sent me an email. Sure enough, the lights were definitely out at 8 p.m. The old telephone number was also disconnected.

The website states the Orange and Moreno Valley restaurants are “closed for remodel.” So, it is unclear if the pizza stores will re-open.

A convenience store worker next to Straw Hat told me: “It is closed forever.”

Stay tuned.

The new Straw Hat, which debuted in January, was among several to open by the end of this year.   (List of other Straw Hat locations.) Another one is planned soon in Malibu.

Other restaurant closures:

Posted in: Fast food news • Pizza • restaurant closures • | 16 Comments »

Another fast-casual eatery closes at The District

October 1st, 2009, 5:19 am by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

go-roma-logoGo Roma is out and Native Foods is in at the The District shopping center in Tustin.

The Italian eatery closed, making it the third restaurant to shutter at the outdoor mall since it debuted two years ago.  Tacone and The Cravery have also closed. (LIST: O.C. Restaurant Closures)

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Fast food news • Restaurant openings • restaurant closures • • • • • • | 33 Comments »

Yum Yum Donuts in Costa Mesa to close

September 25th, 2009, 3:56 pm by Ellyn Pak, Staff Writer

dsc_04661Get your fill of sugar-coated dough before the Yum Yum Donuts shop in Costa Mesa closes its doors for good next week.

The longtime doughnut shop – formerly the Winchell’s Donut House – on 253 E. 17th Street at Westminster Avenue will shutdown Wednesday.

The owner of the 24-hour franchise wasn’t available for comment, but a hot-pink sign was posted on a soda machine stating: “The owner doesn’t wanna rent us any more, sorry, thank you.”

dsc_0458_medium

According to the city, Yum Yum opened in 1998. The store is located next to a home liquidation & barber sho in a strip mall along the busy 17th Street thoroughfare.

Other Yum Yums are located in Santa Ana, Anaheim and La Palma.

Related stories:

Posted in: restaurant closures • | 9 Comments »

South Coast Plaza’s Clubhouse to close in December

September 24th, 2009, 11:02 am by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

the-clubhouse_ext

The Clubhouse, which for 10 years has been a fine dining pit stop for South Coast Plaza shoppers, said it would close in December.

Closure announcement sent via email today

Closure announcement sent via email today

The following note was sent to diners via e-mail today (9/24):

“After 10 fantastic years, it is with great sadness we announce The Clubhouse in Costa Mesa will close its doors at the end of 2009. On behalf of Really Nice Restaurants, we want to extend our deepest gratitude for the loyalty you have shown us through the years.”

A reason was not given for the closure. However, a front desk worker answering the phone Thursday said the closure was due to “economic reasons.” He said the restaurant would close Dec. 31.

In 2005, The Clubhouse boomed with business; it became known for its specialy martinis.

In 2005, The Clubhouse boomed with business; it became known for its specialty martinis.

The Clubhouse is located in the southwest wing of South Coast Plaza, adjacent to Bloomingdale’s. South Coast Plaza representatives could not be reached for comment to discuss what might replace The Clubhouse.

Tell us: What went wrong with The Clubhouse? Do you think the restaurant got squeezed out when fresher fine dining concepts like Charlie Palmer debuted at South Coast Plaza?  Write in and let us know.

More mall closures: Other Orange County malls have seen several fast-food and sit-down restaurants shutter in the last several weeks, including The Shops at Mission Viejo and Bella Terra in Huntington Beach. To see which restaurants have closed, read my O.C. Restaurant Closure list for the latest news.

(Thanks to readers Deb and Griffin for the tip.)

Related stories on closures in O.C.:

Restaurant openings in O.C.:

Posted in: Fast food news • restaurant closures • • | 47 Comments »

Zagat-rated Italian eatery closes in Irvine

September 16th, 2009, 1:52 pm by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

vessia_closedVessia Ristorante in Irvine –  dubbed by Zagat as “surprisingly individual” in a sea of Orange County chains — has closed.

A message on the Vessia’s website states:

“It has been our pleasure to serve the Irvine community for the past ten years. Thank you for your patronage. Please visit our sister restaurant in Temecula during your next visit to the area.”

The restaurant, which specialized in Southern Italian meals, operated at the Crossroads Shopping Center in Irvine (3966 Barranca Way.) In 2007, the Zagat dining guide called Vessia the kind of place that makes “you forget you’re in an Irvine strip center.”

As reported earlier this year, dozens of eateries have closed over the last 18 months. Many are well-established chains and mom-and-pop eateries like Vessia. (LIST: More O.C. Restaurant closures)

Tell us: What can these establishments do to win your dining dollars?

(Thanks to reader Andrew for the tip)

Related stories:

Posted in: Fast food news • restaurant closures • | 55 Comments »

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