Landmark eatery needs to stay put

Newport Beach has many charming landmarks.

The Pavilion, the Dunes, the Balboa Bay Club, the Fun Zone and the

Cannery are but a few of those.

And right there along with them is the Arches restaurant.

An institution since 1922, the Arches is steeped in Newport Beach

history. Legend has it that nary a big land deal in the city was

approved without a power lunch at the Arches between the developer

moguls and city officials.

Movie stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and John Wayne

have dined at its tables, and some of the newer glitterati continue

to do so.

So it was with some distress that we learned the news that

longtime Arches owner Danny Marcheano is making plans to close up the

Mariners Mile locale and perhaps even reopen the restaurant in

another city.

The Arches, which gleans its name from the nearby bridge over the

Coast Highway, really needs to stay put.

If Marcheano, who has run the Arches since 1982, wants to open his

successful eatery in another newer and bigger space, we wish him all

the best and are confident that he will continue to offer top-notch

dining and camaraderie to those who patronize his establishment --

though we hope he keeps this legendary restaurant in Newport Beach.

But we also hope there are no plans to tear down the actual

building that houses the Arches restaurant.

The reason is the locale. The Arches sits on prime real estate at

the western end of Mariners Mile, itself a dog-eared strip of

restaurants and marine-based businesses that needs a boost.

But while it is an aging landmark, the Arches can really be a

diamond in the rough. It represents a piece of the town’s history and

legend. Losing the Arches from Mariners Mile will not only hurt that

history, but the businesses along this stretch of Coast Highway could

also suffer even more.

We urge city officials and the landowner to work together and

figure out a way to keep this piece of Newport Beach history intact.

The Arches is a precious treasure that needs to be preserved.