A long-standing local restaurant will close its doors for good Thursday night.
Just a short drive from Seal Beach, the Hof's Hut at the intersection of Second Street and Pacific Coast Highway will shut down at 11 p.m. Thursday after serving as a Long Beach staple for more than 50 years, a waitress at the restaurant confirmed Wednesday.
According to the Press Telegram, the new owners of the property could not come to a lease agreement with Hof's Hut owner Craig Hofman. The newspaper reported the two parties tried to negotiate a lease for almost a year before ending talks.
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Erin Peacock, a spokesperson for Hof's Hut, confirmed the closing to the Gazette in January but would not say what will replace it.
“The shopping center owner is doing a transformation, and Hof’s didn’t make sense in that location,” Peacock told the paper.
In a newsletter sent to customers in January and later posted on the Orange County Breeze, Hof's Hut expressed appreciation for its loyal customers at its Second Street location.
"At the end of February, Hof’s Marina will be closing," the newsletter stated. "We want to thank all of our loyal guests for 50 successful years of home cookin’ and freshly baked desserts!"
The original Hof's Hut was opened as a burger stand in Long Beach in the 1940's, according to its website. The Second Street location later opened in 1961 and the franchise expanded to include six locations.
"My father's first priority was to have the best breakfast, hamburgers, chili, onion rings, home baked pies, and to use top quality ingredients and provide great service," Hof's owner Craig Hofman wrote on the website.
Thursday's closing brings the number of Huf's Huts down to five.
Those still yearning for their Hof's fix can visit the Los Alamitos location at 10900 Los Alamitos Boulevard or the other Long Beach locations at 2147 Bellflower Boulevard in Los Altos and 4251 Long Beach Boulevard in Bixby Knolls.
