An empty parking lot told the story Wednesday morning outside the West Hollywood IHOP, which usually serves hungry customers 24 hours a day.
Although a Christmas wreath could still be seen on the wall above the empty counter and kitchen area inside the restaurant, a note on the door told customers the holidays are over.
“Closing at 1 pm on New Year’s Day. Thank you,” the message told potential customers arriving at 8461 Santa Monica Blvd.
A voicemail message also confirmed the bad news, directing customers to the Hollywood location at 7006 Sunset Blvd.
“Dear valued customer. Apologies for any inconvenience. Our West Hollywood IHOP is closed,” the message states.
An employee told the WeHo Times that the closure was permanent.
“He said he could not get into why the location closed, and simply summed it up to business issues,” the Times reported.
Another source told the online news service that the franchise fees were too high, forcing it to close, but that has not been confirmed.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that the beloved Los Angeles bakery chain Sweet Lady Jane closed to start the new year.
Despite customer loyalty, the bakery said sales were not strong enough to continue to do business in California while servicing lease obligations and paying its employees a living wage.