The owner of Savory Restaurant at Point Dume Village announced the restaurant’s closure Wednesday afternoon following a “long and hard battle” with Point Dume Village landlord Zan Marquis.
“This is a sad day and one of the hardest decisions I have had to make,” owner and executive chef Paul Shoemaker said in a statement. “I love Malibu and everyone here.”
This marks the second restaurant at Point Dume Village and the third local Malibu restaurant to announce its closure in recent weeks. Point Pizza owner Hye Song Oh also failed to renew her lease with Marquis and is set to close doors at the end of this year. Guido’s Italian Restaurant is also closing due to a lease dispute with Malibu Village owner Matt Khoury.Â
“Shoemaker was not able to gain any resolve with Marquis and he and his team have had to finally give up this fight,” according to a statement issued by Shoemaker’s representatives.
Kathryn Natalia, the property manager at Point Dume Village, could not be reached for comment.
The recent loss of local restaurants has sparked controversy among the Malibu community. Many believe small businesses and beloved local spots face the risk of being pushed out of their spaces by landlords seeking to increase retail rent prices.
The Malibu City Council is scheduled to discuss a report on retail diversification and commercial retail ordinances next week.Â
Shoemaker, in announcing Savory’s closure, signed off his statement with the phrase, “Eat. Drink. Be Local.”