Unless you truly live in the middle of the woods, you probably have your fair share of restaurants to choose from when you want to grab lunch or dinner.
Even in rural areas, it’s common to have a variety of options. And in major suburbs and cities, your choices might be plentiful. You could walk down the street and choose from among a number of popular cuisines without having to search far and wide.
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Still, when there’s a restaurant you’ve known and loved for years, losing it can be a big blow.
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There might be a similar restaurant five minutes away that serves almost the exact same menu.
But if a go-to restaurant of yours has the one special dish that always tastes great, it can be a very sad thing to see that establishment disappear.
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Restaurants have been feeling the pressure
The past few years have been tough for restaurants across the board.
In 2020, dining establishments had to close to in-person service for a period of time thanks to the Covid pandemic. And even once restaurants reopened, many grappled with supply chain issues, labor shortages, and rising costs.
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Lingering inflation has also driven a lot of people away from restaurants.
When living costs are high, consumers have to prioritize. That means they can’t drop $80 on dinner for two when that same amount of money could potentially buy food for an entire week.
Not surprisingly, a number of popular restaurant chains have filed for bankruptcy and/or closed their doors since 2020.
About a year ago, Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11, despite having a loyal fan base. And fast-casual chain TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy about seven months ago, citing financial challenges.
A popular local restaurant is closing unexpectedly
You’d think that restaurants situated in major cities would see their fair share of business. But sometimes, being centrally located can be a mixed bag.
Being in a prime location gives you access to more customers. But it’s sort of like being in a mall. When there’s just too much competition around, you can easily lose business.
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Also, when you’re occupying prime real estate, it can be challenging to negotiate favorable lease terms with your landlord. Or, your landlord might decide it wants to do something different with its space.
Despite its popular location along West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, beloved restaurant Chin Chin has announced that it’s slated to close at the end of July.
The restaurant first opened its doors to West Hollywood customers in 1983 and is known for its classic Chinese menu, including its signature Chinese chicken salad with wonton strips.
Chin Chin has additional locations in Brentwood, Studio City, and Las Vegas that will remain open. The West Hollywood location is shuttering after the restaurant’s landlord opted not to renew its lease.
“At the last minute, I think the landlord had a change in vision for the place, and as much as we wanted to be part of that, Chin Chin just wasn’t part of their vision,” David Choi, a partner in the restaurant, told the LA Times. “It was just a very sudden change, and so we were kind of left scrambling.”
Chin Chin does hope to reopen in a new location but is still searching for its next home. In the meantime, the restaurant has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support employees during the transition.
In an Instagram post announcing the closure, Chin Chin said, “We are heartbroken to announce that Chin Chin will be unexpectedly closing its doors at our Sunset Plaza location.”
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Fans can still dine at the West Hollywood location through July 27.Â
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