Closure of eatery leaves its patrons uneasy

Paul Clinton

After 20 years of frying omelets, burgers and other hearty food,

proprietors of the Omelette Parlor will lay down their spatulas.

They’ll close the popular eatery later this month, following owner

Susan Adkins’ inability to reach a deal to extend the lease. Adkins

says she will also close Chester Drawers, a folksy adjoining bar.

Adkins claims she was rebuffed when she tried to negotiate a new

lease with landlord, The Vons Companies Inc., which owns the shopping

center on 17th Street.

Adkins, who has been renting nearly 7,000 square feet of space

between the bar and restaurant, said Vons representatives have not

renewed her lease that expires June 30. The Omelette Parlor will

close about a week before that.

“I was open to any kind of negotiations,” Adkins said. “They don’t

want me here.”

Vons is owned by Safeway Inc., the publicly owned grocer based in

Pleasanton. Safeway officials did not return calls on Monday.

Customers at the Omelette Parlor say they’ll miss ordering up a

burger or breakfast item from a menu that used local names for its

food.

Omelets such as Mrs. Beecher’s Delight, Estancia Rediscovered and

the Performing Arts Center can be ordered up for a fairly inexpensive

price, one of the reasons the place is still popular.

“We come here all the time,” said Rico Andino, 25, who came for a

meal with his girlfriend Jane Parker, 21. “I know the menu like the

back of my hand.”

Richard Meredith, 53, struggled to verbalize his sadness about the

news. With tears welling in his eyes, Meredith said he would miss his

favorite place to order an omelet.

“It’s such a big part of Costa Mesa,” Meredith said. “It’s the

best thing I’ve known since I came here.”

Corporate owner Grand American Fair opened the eatery, which

serves breakfast and lunch, in 1983 with a Western theme. The first

Omelette Parlor in Santa Monica is a survivor.

At the time of the opening, the company signed a 15-year lease

with an option for five more years. In 1988, Adkins, who helped

launch the restaurant, bought the restaurant from Grand American

Fair. As the company dissolved in 1993, Adkins added the Chester

Drawers bar to her holdings.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

paul.clinton@latimes.com.