“Bon voyage, everybody,” the restaurant's owner said quietly as he bid farewell to his employees.
Wayne Judah, owner of the Admiral Risty, is closing the Rancho Palos Verdes eatery -- with its dim lights, seafaring decor and sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean -- in August after 53 years.
“Closing is like a death in the family,” said Judah, 74. “The emotion of it. The stress of it. I’ve probably lost 10 pounds over the last few weeks.” Judah was a 24-year-old Army sergeant stationed at Ft. MacArthur in San Pedro when he took a bartending gig at the Admiral Risty in 1969. There also are hand-carved, wooden leviathan centerpieces. A few have been swiped in recent weeks. One customer told an employee that she knew someone who had taken one and would try to guilt that person into bringing it back. It showed up in a sack outside the front door a few days later.
Wayne Judah, right, owner of the Admiral Risty, holds the door open for restaurant guests on Sunday. “There are good customers we’ve had for decades who will say, ‘I don’t know if I’ll make it back, so best of luck to you,’” said Tim Roderick, the 61-year-old floor manager who has worked there for nearly 20 years. “It’s hugs, all that stuff. … It’s hard to think about because it’s been a big chunk of my life. A third of my life.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Uber Eats Now Wants People to Dine In at RestaurantsA new app option allows customers to pre-order food... then eat it at the restaurant
Read more »
Grubhub Says It Didn’t Create Fake Websites Without Restaurants’ PermissionThe company says that all contracts signed by restaurant owners contain a provision about the websites
Read more »
Facing fury over ‘fake websites,’ Grubhub says restaurants have it wrongIt looked like the perfect David and Goliath story: A tech giant , hurting mom and pop restaurants by grabbing up digital real estate and using it to boost its own commissions. There was just one problem: That’s not what actually happened.
Read more »
E-Commerce Turns the Tables on Restaurant SpaceAs food delivery expands across major U.S. cities, a handful of startups are trying to use the latest e-commerce technology to liberate restaurants and grocery stores from pricey, street-facing retail space.
Read more »