The major Orange County restaurant closures of 2025 (so far) ...Middle East

As the calendar reaches its halfway point, Orange County’s restaurant scene has seen its share of farewells. This year, the culinary landscape has shifted, with long-standing eateries dimming their lights and even some larger chains rethinking their presence. From local institutions that served generations to outfits feeling the pinch of changing consumer tastes, the first six months of 2025 marked some significant changes. Here are a handful of the 2025 restaurant closures thus far that hit the hardest.

January

Ivan Spiers’ Bodega Laguna and Skyloft, which opened in 2015, packed up their belongings and vacated the historic Heisler building on Jan. 2. Both prime Coast Highway venues have since remained vacant.

Also at the start of January, Slapfish, the fast-casual seafood franchise noted for its sustainable practices, closed its remaining Orange County location, located in San Clemente. The brand has one remaining California location left at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), as well as venues in Indiana, New Mexico, South Carolina and Utah.

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After 32 years on MacArthur Boulevard in Irvine, IHOP closed on Jan. 29. “This decision was ultimately made for us when we unfortunately lost the lease for this location,” said co-owner Angela EL Haj (who, along with her sister, Mariam, also co-owns Calaca Mamas in Anaheim), in a written statement. “The property owner, which we have had a wonderfully long relationship with, has chosen to move forward with a different tenant who will be able to pay significantly higher rent. While we have no hard feelings and respect their decision, it is a bittersweet moment for our family and team, as this closure marks the end of a cherished chapter in our lives.” According to Eric Martin, associate planner with the city of Irvine, a Chick-Fil-A will take its place. No word yet as to when exactly the chicken sandwich chain will open.

Mexican restaurant and bar Hectors on the Circle in Old Towne Orange closed in early January. Opening in August 2022, Hector’s moved into the former site of Watson’s Soda Fountain & Cafe, the soda fountain that first opened as a drug store in 1899. Cajun seafood chain the Kickin’ Crab, founded by restauranteur Jan Nguyen, moved into the space.

February

After only 14 months in operation, Hoot Wings, Hooters’ fast-casual, family-friendly chicken wing spot, closed its Orange location in early February. Known for its modesty compared to its “breastaurant” forefather, Hoot Wings hired both female and male servers, who wear t-shirts and khaki pants, with no emphasis on leering. Created in 2017, the business model was an attempt to offset revenue slowdown at Hooter restaurants. Only two locations in Illinois remain open, according to the company’s website. A new eatery has yet to take the place of the former Orange location.

March

On March 1, the Black Marlin, a noted seafood spot in Tustin’s Old Town, temporarily closed for a major renovation. “This transformation will include essential plumbing upgrades, a modernized kitchen, a reimagined restaurant and bar layout, and an exciting new menu carefully crafted to become an award-winning favorite,” the Black Marlin team posted to Instagram in February. No word when on when, or if, it plans on reopening this year.

Another closure that hit hard was the Spaghetti Bender, which closed after 55 years on March 2, along Coast Highway in Newport Beach. When asked why he decided to shutter his restaurant, owner Michael Hoskinson explained, “The ultimate reason is that we hit 55 years and we decided to go out on a high note. What else do we have to prove?” The red-sauce joint, noted for Italian-American staples like spaghetti and meatballs, gnocchi and saltimbocca, as well as its interior decor that hadn’t changed since the 1970s, went out on a high note, with tables booked until the very end.

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The longstanding Peking Dragon in Dana Point temporarily closed on March 16 to make way for an extensive renovation. A sign taped to the front entrance of the 40-year-old Chinese spot read, “Dear customers, our restaurant will be closed for remodeling starting March 16. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your support.” No word yet as to when the owners plan on reopening.

Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill in Anaheim Hills temporarily closed in March to make way for a complete renovation. Originally opening in 1977, the eatery’s in-progress remodel will “serve as the blueprint for future renovations across the brand’s nine additional locations throughout Orange County and beyond,” according to FSR Magazine. The Anaheim Hills location is slated to reopen this hall; Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill’s other locations are still open.

April

Rock and Brews, the rock-music restaurant chain co-created by Kiss members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, shuttered on April 6 after five years in Tustin. “After much consideration, we have decided to close our Rock and Brews Tustin location,” said a Rock and Brews spokesperson, in a written response. “We were recently approached by a buyer interested in the space and, after careful evaluation, decided to accept their offer.” The rock-themed 8,950-square foot venue featured 52 beers on tap, 17 flat-screen TVs and a menu of wings, burgers, ribs, beer galore and craft cocktails.

June

Coffee Importers, one of Dana Point Harbor’s oldest businesses, recently relocated near the Ocean Institute, closing its former location on June 15. The move allowed the time-honored establishment to remain operable during the Dana Point Harbor’s ongoing renovation, while adding a bakery and expanding their food options. However, the expansion came at the cost of its ice cream business: Scoop Deck, Coffee Importers’ frozen-treat other half for more than four decades, ceased operations before the move. “That’s really hard, we’ve had ice cream (at the Scoop Deck) for 43 years,” owner Jim Miller told the Orange County Register. “People loved it and they’re bummed. But we’re shifting gears to make it more of a cafe. It’s another level up.”

Seafood-steakhouse chain Eddie V’s closed its Newport Beach location for good on June 15. “Closing this restaurant is a difficult business decision, and one that we made carefully and thoughtfully, particularly because it impacts our team members and guests,” a spokesperson for the restaurant told the Orange County Register in April before its closing.

July

In Downtown Disney, Earl of Sandwich will close its temporary location on July 26 to make way for a new Porto’s Bakery. Meanwhile, the sandwich shop awaits the construction of its new eatery, a two-story location near the Downtown Disney performance lawn. Earl of Sandwich’s upcoming larger venue will include a quick service walk-up counter, sit-down Earl of Sandwich Tavern restaurant and an upstairs cocktail bar. The company laid off 167 employees in the process. Its pop-up location, however, is still open, according to the restaurant’s website.

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August

Harpoon Henry’s, which opened in 2025, will serve its final meal this summer. The longstanding restaurant made the announcement in November. While the official closing date has changed since the original announcement, a projected finale is slated to happen in early to mid August. The seafood restaurant’s closure is part of an ongoing $550 million overhaul to the Dana Point Harbor, a project slated to add new hotels, parking structures, restaurants, architecture and landscaping to the 52-year-old harbor.

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2029

In-N-Out, still Southern California’s most synonymous burger joint, plans to shutter its Orange County headquarters at 4199 Campus Drive. This fast food chain is consolidating its West Coast operations into a single location in Baldwin Park, where it was founded in 1948. This move, expected by 2029, will coincide with  the upcoming opening of a new East Coast headquarters in Tennessee. “Some of our associates will be relocating to Tennessee, which makes it even more important to centralize our western headquarters in one location, and our company’s deepest roots are in Baldwin Park,” owner and president Lynsi Snyder said in the news release. “Our West Coast family will be together in one place, where In-N-Out Burger began.”

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