After a swell of community support that ultimately couldn’t save Le Petit Four, the sunny French-Californian bistro in West Hollywood closed after 44 years of business.
A celebrity-favorite fixture in the Sunset Plaza shopping center, the restaurant is the latest in a wave of closures along the Sunset Strip. As the neighborhood contends with a decline in pedestrian traffic and other lingering challenges from the pandemic, a new initiative from the city of West Hollywood aims to boost midweek sales for local businesses.
An Instagram post announced the closure of Le Petit Four less than two weeks ago, calling the decision “unavoidable” amid a downturn in foot traffic and higher costs, including a minimum-wage increase and rising rent.
“I’ve owned the restaurant since January ’99. Sunset used to be the place to hang out. It was packed, packed, packed,” owner Alexandre Morgenthaler said in a phone interview. “But since COVID everything went up in price. Minimum wage went up 30% in West Hollywood. We lost traffic.”
He said that prior to COVID, the restaurant typically made more than $4 million a year in sales and managed a staff of 64. But since the pandemic it has been averaging $3.5 million annually, and its staff has shrunk to 50.
“It’s not even enough to pay the bills,” he said.
Patrons were invited to come out for the restaurant’s final days of service, with doors closed permanently on March 31.
The date wasn’t arbitrary. Morgenthaler owed more than $100,000 in back rent with a court order to pay by the end of the month. “I didn’t have the money at the time I posted, so I knew we had to close,” he said.
Reservations filled up quickly. With permission from Morgenthaler, a longtime customer launched a GoFundMe that has since raised more than $9,000.
“We got so busy,” Morgenthaler said. “Every day our gross [sales] were going up and up, and I said, ‘Maybe we can make it.’”
On Saturday evening, the sidewalk under Le Petit Four’s yellow awning was crowded with drop-in guests waiting for tables to open. Servers wove through the packed dining room, balancing plates with herb-drenched escargots, Parmesan-crusted penne and steak tartare.
Outfitted in one of his signature patterned button-ups, Morgenthaler flitted from table to table, greeting longtime customers and uncorking bottles of wine as a final celebration.
“The ambience, especially this week, has been incredible,” he said.
On Monday morning, the restaurant posted another Instagram update, announcing that it would remain open thanks to the generous outpouring of support from patrons. “Le Petit Four is here to stay,” the post‘s caption read.
But everything changed just hours later when Morgenthaler went to his landlord to deliver a check that would cover the overdue rent.
“He refused it,” Morgenthaler said. “He said, ‘You’re not strong enough. You’re not going to make it.’ Basically we’re back to zero so I have to close the doors.”
Less than 24 hours after the Instagram announcement that the restaurant would remain open, another post shared that it would be closing permanently after all. “Thank you for your love, support, and the beautiful memories,” the caption read.
About a mile from Le Petit Four, the Den on Sunset marked its final night of service with free shots on Saturday. Standing out on West Sunset with its stone-brick A-Frame exterior, the neighborhood bar and restaurant was open for 16 years.
The West Hollywood location of Rock & Reilly’s, a local Irish pub chain, closed abruptly just before St. Patrick’s Day after 14 years in business. Just days later, Hudson House, an American restaurant chain owned by Dallas-based Vandelay Hospitality Group, closed after three years.
In an effort to bring traffic back to the area, West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the city of West Hollywood launched an April initiative that provides free parking across all meters, city lots and city structures every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to midnight.
Dozens of restaurants and bars are offering discounts and happy hour deals to encourage further patronage, including $10 cocktails and bites at Formosa Cafe and $8 cocktails at Connie & Ted’s.
“A lot of our small businesses are hurting right now, particularly in the hospitality industries” said Genevieve Morrill, president and CEO of the chamber of commerce. “And I think it’s important for the public right now, because everything’s become so unaffordable. This gives everybody an opportunity to drum up some business during a slower time of the week.”
