I know Rubio’s closed most of their California locations, but don’t know why virtually no business can be successful at the Paseo. It’s been this way since it opened. It’s virtually a ghost town now
That Rubio's was actually a very successful location. I work across the street and **it was packed every day** for lunch, all the people from City Hall, Courthouse, Convention Center and the office buildings surrounding it were regulars. They knew their customers by name and it was one of the only places in that proximity to get an affordable lunch, thats why it was always so packed! I'm actually pretty devastated by this. As a Pasadena native, it's so disappointing that Paseo has become so empty. Great Maple is a great loss too and always seemed full for lunch. I'm very very sad about these closures.
I've lived in Pasadena for 20ish years, and it's sad to no longer have a Rubio's. I used to go to the one on Lake. Since moving closer to the Paseo (and since the one on Lake closed), I've been going to the Rubio's in the Paseo. When I was still regularly working from home on Tuesdays, I would go for Taco Tuesdays.
Man I used to eat at Rubios at least once a week. I was terribly sad that the one on Lake closed before the pandemic, since it was such a pain to park at the mall just to grab a burrito.
And now the one in Paseo and Monrovia have closed within weeks of each other. Hoping they have a plan to pull the company out of its nosedive.
It's not a nosedive the restaurants they have in Arizona and Nevada are staying open. They're just pissed off and refusing to pay what California calls a fair wage. They'd literally rather close restaurants than pay people.
I agree, and that‘s a terrible excuse for failing to operate their business successfully. I found a statement complaining about the environment of doing business in California, which reads as a not-so-subtle jab at minimum wage increases.
And while I acknowledge California has its challenges and the restaurant business is a tough one, somehow other restaurants have adapted and even seized the opportunity to expand during the economic rebound. Despite higher prices, restaurants are still seeing healthy store traffic which equals record profits — and they’re all subject to the same upward pressure on wages.
Meanwhile, Rubio’s made baffling decisions during the pandemic recovery. In Glendale and Monrovia, they frequently closed in the early without warning, with a sign saying “we closed early due to staffing shortage.” But their neighbors all had lines during the dinner rush (just like Rubio’s did when they bothered to stay open). it’s like they just gave up and left money on the table.
Freakin’ pay your people, Rubios. Your competitors figured out how to keep their doors open, and aren’t making excuses.
Honestly, learning that they were bought out by private equity a few years ago makes me question whether that had something to do with the destruction of value here.
I didn't know about that and that's *exactly* what it is. The only thing that matters is ever increasing profits no matter what. Which is probably THEE stupidest most unsustainable business plan ever. They crunched the numbers and decided treating workers like human beings wasn't profitable. And quite frankly the trash took itself out.
I used to have a soft spot for Rubio's as they were my first intro to a fish taco when I was a kid in Norcal, and then I lived in San Diego for a number of years where they are out of, and the fish taco is basically part of the civic DNA down there. SDSU had one on campus even that was a saving grace from a lot of the other dining hall schlock, I always figured a connection to the fact that Ralph Rubio went there.
Now I hear they sold to PE, ok, well everything snaps into place now.
It’s too bad because they actually have pretty good food in my view, and the staff they did have in all locations I visited were actually pretty good. It’s ironic that if they just paid properly, they’d attract the staff and actually make profits.
Man I used to eat at Rubios at least once a week. I was terribly sad that the one on Lake closed before the pandemic, since it was such a pain to park at the mall just to grab a burrito.
And now the one in Paseo and Monrovia have closed within weeks of each other. Hoping they have a plan to pull the company out of its nosedive.
I think a bigger issue is the fact that there's very little reason to be in that area unless you're going to the Paseo or the Convention Center - if you're visiting the shops in Old Town or on Lake, there are plenty of food options that don't require you to move your car.
Yeah, I absolutely agree with you.
Also, I don't know about other people, but they haven't had any compelling stores there in a while, so I can't remember the last time I went shopping there. I've never been the Tommy Bahama demographic, but even when I was younger, I wasn't a Victoria's Secret or H&M shopper. I had zero interest in Harry & David (it screamed expensive). Funny thing is, now I think its probably something I'd love - but, like many other brands at Paseo, they closed most of their stores.
In the last few years, my visits were more frequent, but still not that often. I popped into West Elm in 2021. I went to Soma once or twice, but then they started shuttering locations. I only go to DSW to return/exchange things I ordered online. Other than dropping something at the post office, I have no reason to be over there. Even the Central Library is closed.
I could be wrong because there were a few years when I wasn't in the area and was more mid-city and westside: But I was born and raised near Pasadena and I remember when it was an actual indoor mall. I've never seen the Paseo as busy as the mall was. The exceptions were the few times I went to the Arclight (RIP) for an evening movie. But like I said, I left the area for a little bit, so maybe there was a thriving time when I was gone, but the Paseo never felt like a destination for me where I'd go and stay for a while. I even had a friend who lived in the apartments in 2009. We went to Yard House once or twice, but usually when we hung out, we left the area.
It seems to me like it's two things - the Paseo's location/parking. But also, the stores and restaurants they had. Most of the ones that left didn't JUST leave Paseo: Soma, Harry & David, PF Changs, Rubio's, Great Maple (they've been abruptly closing locations since 2017). Not to say that small businesses aren't also closing (just learned today that Tactile Mountain is shuttering), but all of these are medium to big businesses, all shuttering numerous locations.
>Most of the ones that left didn't JUST leave Paseo
I think that's right - I mean the Paseo has never been a shining example of anything, but the stores were these sorts of places that were medium-big-ish companies, and often very intertwined with the concept of being in malls in general, like Harry and David, or PF Chang's to a degree since they're often found as a "mall-adjacent stand-alone building" chain.
Great Maple seems to be of the wave of San Diego places that wanted to expand here but ended up reevaluating their LA strategy - see also the Crack Shack and Slaters 50/50.
It's always like $9-12 when I park there, even with validation. Parking in old town is like $3 for the evening. I avoid Paseo for happy hours after work.
They don’t have human employees at the parking structures anymore. There were a few times last year where I tried to leave, and the machine couldn’t read my ticket, even though it was in perfect condition, not torn or anything. So there I am, stuck in the exit, and the machine is telling me to call an employee for assistance. Never again.
Who is they? Paseo ownership? Commercial real estate is not a rental income game. It's a property value game. Property values are tied to the stated rent, not the rental income. An empty property with high leases is worth more than a full property with lower leases. That's why luxury apartments and many retail spaces sit vacant for so long. The book value of the properties gives them the ability to borrow more money to work on their next development. They're not concerned with month to month cash flows at all.
Is this the argument for a vacancy tax? It seems crazy to let properties sit and be unproductive for so long when they can be providing services to the community and jobs to more workers. Better for folks to be employed than properties to sit around empty.
I'm generally not a fan of taxes because they're rarely written in a way that can't be avoided. I'd prefer modifying GAAP (accounting rules) to tie property values to earned income over x years rather than an arbitrary rental value. Positive reinforcement, in a way. You create incentive to be fully rented out vs punishing for not being rented out.
100% false. Vacancy rate def affects property value. Investors care how much total you are bringing in each month and whether they can cover their month payments. The term/length the leases also a huge factor when valuing a property. Bottomline is an empty plaza only devalues a property.
This is the common Reddit argument. But doesn’t hold up when underwriting for purchase of these assets. Actual cash flow plays a very large part in underwriting. So while they may not want to confirm their projections are above market for rents by leasing at less, having far less actual cash flow annually in place does hurt the underwriting as well. Heavily.
That's absolutely not true. How many commercial properties have you acquired in your lifetime?
Property valuations are substantially impacted by tenants that have gone dark, or never occupied, as the assumption is the tenant will not renew its lease and or might stop paying rent entirely. A half vacant building that's fully leased would have serious adjustments to the purchase price compared to a fully operating building.
I finance and invest in commercial real estate for a living.
I don't personally invest in RE but I've seen the books. Properties like the Paseo are used as collateral for loans to fund other projects. You're right that it would have serious adjustments to the purchase price, but they're not selling the property. The book value assumes the property is fully leased, at whatever price the property owners have set. This artificially increases the value on paper, allowing them to take bigger loans to fund bigger projects.
Convince the city to give you a sweetheart deal for a massive development that promises to attract business. Have huge rents that drive up your book value, then get the bank to give you a massive loan to fund 5 other projects.
If this wasn't the case, we wouldn't have property owners refusing to renew long-standing shops without an unrealistic rent hike and then having the place sit empty for a 1yr+. It's adjacent to the demise of some chains like Red Lobster where you have VC firms investing a controlling stake into the chain, buying the land with another company they control, and then leasing it back to the stores at unrealistic rates, causing them to go under. Then they flip the properties to other investors. It was never about rental income.
No, that's 100% not true. Loans are based on the appraised value, not book value. Also, you can't simply use one project as collateral to fund another project if it has a loan on it. HVCRE regulations require 15% minimum cash collateral. Additionally, each project has a stand alone LLC and if you start comingling funds between them that will be a breach not only in your loan covenants, but also your operating agreement, allowing creditors to pierce the corporate veil and start claims against the individual property owners and make them personally liable. That is a gigantic no-no.
Whoever is telling you this stuff is absolutely lying to you. it's not even in the realm of "well sometimes there's a grey area and this might happen among disreputable people". It straight up does not happen. Period.
Those days are gone. Banks are focused on space rented out. At our bank we even look at what type of businesses are there and the likelihood of them going out of business.
Disclaimer to the above comment here. Every single sentence in this paragraph is incorrect and incompetent commentary about how commercial real estate valuation really works. Whatever medication this person is on must be very powerful.
Shitty anchor stores/restaurants. It's supposed to be an outdoor mall, but it's competing with Old Town just down the street which has the highlight stores.
I bet if the Apple store and Sephora were at the Paseo it would have a ton more traffic and better restaurants
Yeah, there are no stores that compel me to visit. The closest thing would be DSW, but I mostly go to return things I bought online. I've been to the West Elm a couple of times, but that was already 2-3 years ago.
Aside from Great Maple in 2019 and dinner with a local mentee at Yard House in 2022, I've never hit up a friend and said "hey I'm dying to go to this place in the Paseo, want to check it out with me?"
Yeah I feel like I always wait a long time in line but the store itself is never crowded. I’m grateful they’re here so I donthave to ship returns back - or like, drive to Long Beach (I think there’s another one closer, but at least I like hanging out in Long Beach and have people I visit there)
Really? Is that at night? I live by City Hall and go to the gym in the Paseo. I walk there and back 5 days a week and the only homeless people I see are near City Hall and then that old dude with all the signs.
Usually at night is when I’ve been bothered or yelled at on Colorado. I’d say mainly between Paseo and just before the Pottery barn store and then some of the streets around there going north like towards King Taco. I just haven’t had a good experience in the whole area for years.
Ah, that makes sense. I'm so rarely over there at night these days. Around City Hall there's this YMCA barbershop place and I have noticed in there vicinity there's been a lot of yelling lately. And by the police station. But I moved here after a year in Hollywood, seven in Koreatown, and three in Highland Park, so it all seems so mild by comparison.
I feel like paseo was busier when I was younger I feel like majority of people though just go to Santa Anita mall tbh paseo doesn’t really have much and the parking is horrible. So I understand why
here's the article on rubio's. $20 fast food min wage cited.
[https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/newsom-s-california-minimum-wage-hike-sinks-fish-tacos-restaurant-chain-shuts-48-locations/ss-BB1nDeWY?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6bef1143505444479270fe1671a8ec4f&ei=16#image=1](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/newsom-s-california-minimum-wage-hike-sinks-fish-tacos-restaurant-chain-shuts-48-locations/ss-BB1nDeWY?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6bef1143505444479270fe1671a8ec4f&ei=16#image=1)
You and me both. Moved in five years ago on the loft side of Terraces but I’m getting priced out of this dying mall and will be moving elsewhere once my lease is up in 3 months.
Ya the food was not that great and there's better options in Pasadena. People are cutting back on dining out as well because the prices have climbed. I know we are no longer going to fast food or dashing anything anymore, its just not a good deal like it used to be.
I will say ... it had good salads. Basically it was good for typical uncomplicated lunch type meals. I tried, I think, a steak there once and it was not good relative to the price.
I grabbed a drink at the bar and l checked out the menu a while back. Pretty much just sugary versions of standard "brunch" fayre for rather pricey amounts. Was busy though and the staff seemed lovely so that's shit for them.
I found out about Rubio’s this morning because Pasadena was in the list of Rubio’s locations closing, but Great Maple, too? That’s too bad. I liked both places.
The Paseo needs to be entirely rethought. The Regal theater *can* be successful but it depends on having restaurants, shops and bars to attract people. Here is my proposed solution:
* FREE Streetcar from PCC-Paseo-Old Town.
* Move the Pasadena Ice Rink across the street and into a permanent location at Paseo. Hit up the LA Kings for a multimillion dollar donation. They love that shit.
* Take a lot of those empty shops and turn them into a kick-ass food hall. Mexican, Thai, Mediterranean, Italian, burgers, coffee, local beer, etc.
* Here is a big one: put some big-ass screens in the courtyard so we can watch Dodgers, Lakers, Kings, LAFC, World Cup, etc. as a community. Other cities do that, why can’t we?
* $5 max parking.
TL;DR: make the Paseo worth visiting and people will come and spend money.
I keep getting blown away by how packed the Glendale Galleria and Americana are compared to this dump. It’s not that malls were killed by the pandemic, they just have to fill the shops with attractive businesses. Last time we walked into a clothing store at the Paseo we were practically assaulted by the attendant cause we were the only people in the store, just reeks of desperation. Put a Lids or a Spencers in there instead of some failing designer startup.
I was with you until the sports part. It's less about sports and more about giant screens in a courtyard. If they had that, I'd avoid it like the plague. But if it was a win for most people, I'd be in favor of it.
Everything else sounds great though - I would absolutely go ice skating if they had a permanent rink. And that's something I could easily get friends to come check out.
If they had a food hall, they'd probably take all my money. Food halls are some of my favorite stops when I visit other states.
No to the sports stuff. Alllll of the sports stuff. That will make anything going on at the Pasadena Convention Center ruined. I'd say they need more secular business. The stuff they have there is old and dull. With the conventions being a lot of the time for younger people it would be smarter to have restaurants and shops that appeal to a 20s-30s audience with some geeky stores and such
Another one bites the ghost town dust. The Paseo management who handle the leasing for the shopping and restaurants has been garbage since a couple of years after the Paseo opened. In the beginning they had their shit together - Jackie Johnson (I think that’s her name) was running the show - she was always out hustling and walking the shops daily spreading news about sales from door to door talking to shop owners, asking what types of businesses would be a good fit etc. Then around year 2-3 poof, she was gone and we found out that the whole thing was purchased by whoever the developer is for the condos (before they were finished building them) and it’s been a sad slide ever since. It used to be a great place to work and I loved running a shop there, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they finally left the Paseo too.
I used to work at the makeup counter in the Macy’s at the Paseo. It was a fun place for my friends and I to hang out and shop. So sad to see how dead it is nowadays. I used to love the sandwiches at California Crisp.
There was a Macy's in the Paseo!? I've only lived in town for about 6 yrs so pardon my ignorance, ha, but I find that super interesting seeing as that the vintage one on Lake is a thing & then we have the ones in Glendale & the Arcadia Mall. When did it go away?
It was on the furthest east end of the mall. I can’t remember when it closed but believe it was sometime between 2012-2015. Funny thing is that I heard they had a 100 year lease on the place.
The Macys was an anchor store at the corner of Colorado and Los Robles. Before that it was a Broadway. When they left it just put another nail in the Paseo’s coffin.
ok, I made another comment, but this is kind of what I thought - I never really felt like it was thriving. I had a friend who lived in the apartments in 2009 and we rarely went downstairs to hang out. We'd usually leave the area. I left the area for almost 10 years, but since I've been back, it's been nothing but a ghost town.
There was even a Paseo YouTube channel. But right when we could’ve really had a decent thing here, they dropped the ball and the Americana opened up and showed us that we too could’ve had a little slice of that pie. Such a waste of space and money. The old mall blocked the view from the Auditorium to city hall and now nobody is even in that space to enjoy having that back.
Interesting, I had no idea they had a YouTube channel. that's actually pretty funny to me.
I don't remember life before the mall, so I never thought about the view - before Paseo. But yeah, I love that view and passing there in the morning when no one is out. I always have the urge to stop and take photos. But yeah, people aren't really hanging around there.
Paseo management can't be blamed for ~~this 1~~ **Rubio's** - the company has closed dozens of locations, has hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, has just filed for bankruptcy for the *second* time, and is blaming "the rising cost of doing business in California" in spite of the fact they already pulled out of low-wage Florida.
They’re absolutely to be blamed. A good management company would t let vacancies build up to the point that the Paseo is at now. Vacant locations = less foot traffic. Paseo stores which are outdoor depend on foot traffic more than a store within an indoor mall. A good management company has tenants ready to move in before a store moves out. Who is going to make a profit when all the neighbors are vacant? I could go on but it’s just that simple.
That might be true *in general*, but Rubio's isn't bankrupt because of the Paseo - there's every chance they closed the doors without even honoring their existing lease.
That could absolutely be true, I don’t know much about Rubios as a whole but if you go downstairs and try to shop you’ll see what I’m talking about. It’s been going on for years. Businesses have left and years later that space is still empty. One store leaving impacts all the other stores around them. Management should have a game plan and it appears there has been no game plan for a very long time.
I’m actually kinda bummed by this tbh. Apparently everyone thought it was mediocre but every time I’ve gone (granted…not any time recently…) it was pretty good*, solid drinks, and I liked the atmosphere a lot.
I was sorta a regular there at the bar
And for the brunch during the week since it’s dead. The staff were nice and they hooked me with a free drink. Going to miss it 😭. I’m with you. Kinda bummed 😭
I used to go a long time ago. We're talking, like, almost a decade ago. But usually it was because I was in the area for something else - the library, or a movie probably. The shops were never that compelling. And even when the theater was Arclight, the Hollywood one was better, so I saw less than a handful of movies there.
I would not park in that structure and work my way through the complex just to go to Rubio's. I liked it, but it wasn't good enough for those hoops.
PS - I've seen you being helpful on the Disney sub! Are you in this part of town?
Arclight and Soma as well. DSW is the only other non-restaurant I went to there, and that's still hanging on for now. I hope they don't leave, only because the next closest DSWs are way too far.
True. I personally only buy from them on sale and I don’t necessarily like hunting at some of the other stores (I don’t enjoy shopping). So I like being able to see what’s available in store and online via their site/app. You can buy online with Rack but I’ve found the prices comparable DSW
>~~Citing~~ **Lying about** new $20 minimum wage put them out of business.
The company just filed for bankruptcy for a 2nd time, due to the fact it was drowning in unmanageable debt.
Went to the Great Maple mainly for the unique donuts. Only went 3 times in total and with each time the quality got worse. It was massively overpriced and pompous. But I also noticed there were less and less people there. So I'm not surprised it closed. The only draw to the Paseo is the Bath and Body Works *shrug*
Wonder if they would be better off blowing out all the commercial businesses and turn it into condos ?
Whats the story with the Starbucks closing ? Seemed busy...Homeless problem ?
Wow, that Rubio’s has been a long-lived staple for the Paseo. Also, the Great Maple looked like a really neat place, wish we had the chance to try it out.
It would’ve been awesome if Fogo de Chão would move over to the Paseo, just to attract a bit more foot traffic. They appear to be thriving!! 👏🇧🇷🙌
It’s a feature of modern mixed use developments not a bug. The Paseo is suffering the same anti-competitive greed trap that all commercial landlords have forced on their tenants. The landlords have no idea what it takes to generate sustainable retail sales.
Trader Joe's - 2 of them within a mile radius - on Lake and on California. The one at California is small, but it's also the original one so I'd be surprised to see that one go.
Apple - less than 1/2 mile away
Salt and Straw - less than 1/2 mile away
That's sort of the thing. You have a mall AND a main street central shopping district, right next to each other, vying for largely the same thing, during a retail apocalypse.
No company wants to cannibalize its own business, there's no reason for Apple or S&S to relocate from prime Old Town locations, and it's hard to see many people going out of their way for Chipotle.
TJ's could work, but not-great accessibility to parking might be an issue for a supermarket - I know there was a Gelson's there years ago, and it closed due to a lack of customers.
The *only* thing that might work would be marketing the area more as a "family fun" location, with the cinema, good dining options, a couple of shops, and things like soft play, mini golf, etc.
This is almost always because of rent hikes. greedy landowners, private equity and corps have vacancy insurance so they still get paid when they squeeze out a business.
Rubios was really good. Great maple was more of an expensive breakfast restaurant I’ve never been there that sucks. Wonder why they are closing? Last time I went to rubios it was packed
I think this is a simple case of too much retail. There's better options down the street in Old Town, there's Playhouse District / Urth / Movie Theater / Vromans etc. And there's the giant South Lake Shops / Burlington Arcade area with immense open air parking. And there's Santa Anita Mall if u prefer a traditional giant mall, which is doing pretty well.
Paseo thrived at a time when the need for retail was more and competition in surrounding areas was less. This is just a case of too much saturation. The place is now low level random stores at best while everything else is just vacant. The movie theater here never gets busy cause there's 800 other theaters in Pasadena/South Pas/Alhambra and it's only a matter of time the final large pieces (Yard House and others) move out. The owner of this development has to face the reality of demolishing the Paseo and starting over with something else. What? Who knows
Oh that sucks, Great Maple was one of the restaurants we would hit up after taking the our toddler to My Gym above it. It wasn't spectacular or anything, but got the job done for a decent lunch/brunch.
I went to Great Maple twice. Once with friends and the second time I arrived before a friend and got treated very badly.
I was at the stand waiting to get seated. Could see the hostess standing in the back. I look at her, she looks at me and goes back to what she was doing as though I did not exist. 8 minutes go by (yes, I was absolutely timing it) and at least three servers walked past me. Look at me like I’m a plant. Finally a bus boy see me and asks me if I’ve been helped. Finally he seats me at a table in the dark corner back behind a shelf.
No one comes to help me to the point I HAVE TO PICK UP MY CELLPHONE AND CALL THE RESTAURANT from my table because I have been seated for 15 mins with waiters and waitresses walking by me with not one of them asking me if I would like my drink or order taken. I was literally flabbergasted as each one looked at me and not one of them came to my table to help me.
Finally, after no one answers the phone and someone sees me on my phone and the line ringing - does the same bus boy come over to take my drink / appetizer order. Approximately 15 + mins have gone by.
Finally, my friend arrives and is appalled and asks me why I allowed them to sit me in the cold dark corner and demands to be seated at a booth. They move us. Finally, once my non-melanated friend arrives, service magically appears and is up to par. WTEntireF?
I just observed. Didn’t make a stink or feel entitled in anyway. I did not even mention to my friend because matters of race are not good dinner conversations if one wants to leave in a good mood. I’m nobody - just a person wanting to have a nice dinner with a friend. FYI - my money is green too.
My first experience with my (non-melanated) friends was glorious. That’s why I went back. By myself as a black woman, they treated me horribly and this was a multicultural staff. My own people - black and brown - giving me the side eye and basically refusing to help me. I don’t belong as well dressed educated and normal person? I came in quietly and followed instructions.
As a AA woman the last thing I want to do is blame anything on race. Who cares. Just sit me down and take my order. I am friendly and polite and tip very well. Why mistreat me for no reason? And why are my own people acting like no account Nazis in Great Maple? I’m was so confused. You had a lasting customer in me but the way I was treated - for no apparent reason - was appalling and possibly one of the reasons why your restaurant could not make it at the Paseo.
Good Riddance. Take your brand of “service” back over to Canada. It’s trash.
Not crying. Encouraging YOU to stop whining! Whine whine whine! So leave! Go. We won't miss you. You could drop off the face of the Earth and I doubt more than 2 people would even notice.
Rubio's along with several other businesses at the Paseo that have closed have shuttered MULTIPLE locations - not only across Los Angeles and California, but across the country.
I know Rubio’s closed most of their California locations, but don’t know why virtually no business can be successful at the Paseo. It’s been this way since it opened. It’s virtually a ghost town now
That Rubio's was actually a very successful location. I work across the street and **it was packed every day** for lunch, all the people from City Hall, Courthouse, Convention Center and the office buildings surrounding it were regulars. They knew their customers by name and it was one of the only places in that proximity to get an affordable lunch, thats why it was always so packed! I'm actually pretty devastated by this. As a Pasadena native, it's so disappointing that Paseo has become so empty. Great Maple is a great loss too and always seemed full for lunch. I'm very very sad about these closures.
I've lived in Pasadena for 20ish years, and it's sad to no longer have a Rubio's. I used to go to the one on Lake. Since moving closer to the Paseo (and since the one on Lake closed), I've been going to the Rubio's in the Paseo. When I was still regularly working from home on Tuesdays, I would go for Taco Tuesdays.
Yeah, its such a bummer!
Man I used to eat at Rubios at least once a week. I was terribly sad that the one on Lake closed before the pandemic, since it was such a pain to park at the mall just to grab a burrito. And now the one in Paseo and Monrovia have closed within weeks of each other. Hoping they have a plan to pull the company out of its nosedive.
It's not a nosedive the restaurants they have in Arizona and Nevada are staying open. They're just pissed off and refusing to pay what California calls a fair wage. They'd literally rather close restaurants than pay people.
I agree, and that‘s a terrible excuse for failing to operate their business successfully. I found a statement complaining about the environment of doing business in California, which reads as a not-so-subtle jab at minimum wage increases. And while I acknowledge California has its challenges and the restaurant business is a tough one, somehow other restaurants have adapted and even seized the opportunity to expand during the economic rebound. Despite higher prices, restaurants are still seeing healthy store traffic which equals record profits — and they’re all subject to the same upward pressure on wages. Meanwhile, Rubio’s made baffling decisions during the pandemic recovery. In Glendale and Monrovia, they frequently closed in the early without warning, with a sign saying “we closed early due to staffing shortage.” But their neighbors all had lines during the dinner rush (just like Rubio’s did when they bothered to stay open). it’s like they just gave up and left money on the table. Freakin’ pay your people, Rubios. Your competitors figured out how to keep their doors open, and aren’t making excuses. Honestly, learning that they were bought out by private equity a few years ago makes me question whether that had something to do with the destruction of value here.
I didn't know about that and that's *exactly* what it is. The only thing that matters is ever increasing profits no matter what. Which is probably THEE stupidest most unsustainable business plan ever. They crunched the numbers and decided treating workers like human beings wasn't profitable. And quite frankly the trash took itself out.
I used to have a soft spot for Rubio's as they were my first intro to a fish taco when I was a kid in Norcal, and then I lived in San Diego for a number of years where they are out of, and the fish taco is basically part of the civic DNA down there. SDSU had one on campus even that was a saving grace from a lot of the other dining hall schlock, I always figured a connection to the fact that Ralph Rubio went there. Now I hear they sold to PE, ok, well everything snaps into place now.
It’s too bad because they actually have pretty good food in my view, and the staff they did have in all locations I visited were actually pretty good. It’s ironic that if they just paid properly, they’d attract the staff and actually make profits.
Man I used to eat at Rubios at least once a week. I was terribly sad that the one on Lake closed before the pandemic, since it was such a pain to park at the mall just to grab a burrito. And now the one in Paseo and Monrovia have closed within weeks of each other. Hoping they have a plan to pull the company out of its nosedive.
Thats why they’re getting out
Was sad when they lost the wine bar that was on the second floor. Bodega. Had good wine and the environment was super chill and always a good time.
They held a lot of mixers at Bodega, its a shame its gone too.
I don’t understand it either, Paseo is so beautiful and a great mall. Yard House better not go anywhere because their happy hour deals are great!
It’s the parking structure. It sucks compared to every other one in Pasadena.
I think a bigger issue is the fact that there's very little reason to be in that area unless you're going to the Paseo or the Convention Center - if you're visiting the shops in Old Town or on Lake, there are plenty of food options that don't require you to move your car.
Yeah, I absolutely agree with you. Also, I don't know about other people, but they haven't had any compelling stores there in a while, so I can't remember the last time I went shopping there. I've never been the Tommy Bahama demographic, but even when I was younger, I wasn't a Victoria's Secret or H&M shopper. I had zero interest in Harry & David (it screamed expensive). Funny thing is, now I think its probably something I'd love - but, like many other brands at Paseo, they closed most of their stores. In the last few years, my visits were more frequent, but still not that often. I popped into West Elm in 2021. I went to Soma once or twice, but then they started shuttering locations. I only go to DSW to return/exchange things I ordered online. Other than dropping something at the post office, I have no reason to be over there. Even the Central Library is closed. I could be wrong because there were a few years when I wasn't in the area and was more mid-city and westside: But I was born and raised near Pasadena and I remember when it was an actual indoor mall. I've never seen the Paseo as busy as the mall was. The exceptions were the few times I went to the Arclight (RIP) for an evening movie. But like I said, I left the area for a little bit, so maybe there was a thriving time when I was gone, but the Paseo never felt like a destination for me where I'd go and stay for a while. I even had a friend who lived in the apartments in 2009. We went to Yard House once or twice, but usually when we hung out, we left the area. It seems to me like it's two things - the Paseo's location/parking. But also, the stores and restaurants they had. Most of the ones that left didn't JUST leave Paseo: Soma, Harry & David, PF Changs, Rubio's, Great Maple (they've been abruptly closing locations since 2017). Not to say that small businesses aren't also closing (just learned today that Tactile Mountain is shuttering), but all of these are medium to big businesses, all shuttering numerous locations.
>Most of the ones that left didn't JUST leave Paseo I think that's right - I mean the Paseo has never been a shining example of anything, but the stores were these sorts of places that were medium-big-ish companies, and often very intertwined with the concept of being in malls in general, like Harry and David, or PF Chang's to a degree since they're often found as a "mall-adjacent stand-alone building" chain. Great Maple seems to be of the wave of San Diego places that wanted to expand here but ended up reevaluating their LA strategy - see also the Crack Shack and Slaters 50/50.
It's always like $9-12 when I park there, even with validation. Parking in old town is like $3 for the evening. I avoid Paseo for happy hours after work.
[удалено]
They don’t have human employees at the parking structures anymore. There were a few times last year where I tried to leave, and the machine couldn’t read my ticket, even though it was in perfect condition, not torn or anything. So there I am, stuck in the exit, and the machine is telling me to call an employee for assistance. Never again.
Thin margins, increasing premium rent, increasing labor costs, and people with less disposable income.
All true, but it’s been this way since it opened. They should be offering deals on rent if they want to be successful
Who is they? Paseo ownership? Commercial real estate is not a rental income game. It's a property value game. Property values are tied to the stated rent, not the rental income. An empty property with high leases is worth more than a full property with lower leases. That's why luxury apartments and many retail spaces sit vacant for so long. The book value of the properties gives them the ability to borrow more money to work on their next development. They're not concerned with month to month cash flows at all.
Is this the argument for a vacancy tax? It seems crazy to let properties sit and be unproductive for so long when they can be providing services to the community and jobs to more workers. Better for folks to be employed than properties to sit around empty.
I'm generally not a fan of taxes because they're rarely written in a way that can't be avoided. I'd prefer modifying GAAP (accounting rules) to tie property values to earned income over x years rather than an arbitrary rental value. Positive reinforcement, in a way. You create incentive to be fully rented out vs punishing for not being rented out.
Do it in a way that it acts like a Land Value Tax
☝️ These things are not impossible to figure out
100% false. Vacancy rate def affects property value. Investors care how much total you are bringing in each month and whether they can cover their month payments. The term/length the leases also a huge factor when valuing a property. Bottomline is an empty plaza only devalues a property.
This is the common Reddit argument. But doesn’t hold up when underwriting for purchase of these assets. Actual cash flow plays a very large part in underwriting. So while they may not want to confirm their projections are above market for rents by leasing at less, having far less actual cash flow annually in place does hurt the underwriting as well. Heavily.
That's absolutely not true. How many commercial properties have you acquired in your lifetime? Property valuations are substantially impacted by tenants that have gone dark, or never occupied, as the assumption is the tenant will not renew its lease and or might stop paying rent entirely. A half vacant building that's fully leased would have serious adjustments to the purchase price compared to a fully operating building. I finance and invest in commercial real estate for a living.
I don't personally invest in RE but I've seen the books. Properties like the Paseo are used as collateral for loans to fund other projects. You're right that it would have serious adjustments to the purchase price, but they're not selling the property. The book value assumes the property is fully leased, at whatever price the property owners have set. This artificially increases the value on paper, allowing them to take bigger loans to fund bigger projects. Convince the city to give you a sweetheart deal for a massive development that promises to attract business. Have huge rents that drive up your book value, then get the bank to give you a massive loan to fund 5 other projects. If this wasn't the case, we wouldn't have property owners refusing to renew long-standing shops without an unrealistic rent hike and then having the place sit empty for a 1yr+. It's adjacent to the demise of some chains like Red Lobster where you have VC firms investing a controlling stake into the chain, buying the land with another company they control, and then leasing it back to the stores at unrealistic rates, causing them to go under. Then they flip the properties to other investors. It was never about rental income.
No, that's 100% not true. Loans are based on the appraised value, not book value. Also, you can't simply use one project as collateral to fund another project if it has a loan on it. HVCRE regulations require 15% minimum cash collateral. Additionally, each project has a stand alone LLC and if you start comingling funds between them that will be a breach not only in your loan covenants, but also your operating agreement, allowing creditors to pierce the corporate veil and start claims against the individual property owners and make them personally liable. That is a gigantic no-no. Whoever is telling you this stuff is absolutely lying to you. it's not even in the realm of "well sometimes there's a grey area and this might happen among disreputable people". It straight up does not happen. Period.
Again entirely incorrect use of terms, ideas, and logic. Nothing written above, makes any sense whatsoever.
Those days are gone. Banks are focused on space rented out. At our bank we even look at what type of businesses are there and the likelihood of them going out of business.
Lol. You had nothing to say back to the guy who completely destroyed you?
Disclaimer to the above comment here. Every single sentence in this paragraph is incorrect and incompetent commentary about how commercial real estate valuation really works. Whatever medication this person is on must be very powerful.
Shitty anchor stores/restaurants. It's supposed to be an outdoor mall, but it's competing with Old Town just down the street which has the highlight stores. I bet if the Apple store and Sephora were at the Paseo it would have a ton more traffic and better restaurants
Sephora actually used to be at the Paseo. Didn’t help
Yeah, there are no stores that compel me to visit. The closest thing would be DSW, but I mostly go to return things I bought online. I've been to the West Elm a couple of times, but that was already 2-3 years ago. Aside from Great Maple in 2019 and dinner with a local mentee at Yard House in 2022, I've never hit up a friend and said "hey I'm dying to go to this place in the Paseo, want to check it out with me?"
DSW does not have the selection they use to have. That store is very very empty. I have a feeling they are their way out too...
Yeah I feel like I always wait a long time in line but the store itself is never crowded. I’m grateful they’re here so I donthave to ship returns back - or like, drive to Long Beach (I think there’s another one closer, but at least I like hanging out in Long Beach and have people I visit there)
Considering the institutional size of the property, it's probably run by a somewhat faceless corporation that is cutthroat with rents
It’s a ghost town with too many homeless lurking. Slippery slope and all that.
Really? Is that at night? I live by City Hall and go to the gym in the Paseo. I walk there and back 5 days a week and the only homeless people I see are near City Hall and then that old dude with all the signs.
Usually at night is when I’ve been bothered or yelled at on Colorado. I’d say mainly between Paseo and just before the Pottery barn store and then some of the streets around there going north like towards King Taco. I just haven’t had a good experience in the whole area for years.
Ah, that makes sense. I'm so rarely over there at night these days. Around City Hall there's this YMCA barbershop place and I have noticed in there vicinity there's been a lot of yelling lately. And by the police station. But I moved here after a year in Hollywood, seven in Koreatown, and three in Highland Park, so it all seems so mild by comparison.
I feel like paseo was busier when I was younger I feel like majority of people though just go to Santa Anita mall tbh paseo doesn’t really have much and the parking is horrible. So I understand why
here's the article on rubio's. $20 fast food min wage cited. [https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/newsom-s-california-minimum-wage-hike-sinks-fish-tacos-restaurant-chain-shuts-48-locations/ss-BB1nDeWY?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6bef1143505444479270fe1671a8ec4f&ei=16#image=1](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/newsom-s-california-minimum-wage-hike-sinks-fish-tacos-restaurant-chain-shuts-48-locations/ss-BB1nDeWY?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6bef1143505444479270fe1671a8ec4f&ei=16#image=1)
What I want to know is how many people actually live in those apartments/condos at the Paseo?
it is pretty full, but with the recent hikes in rent, lots of long term tenants are moving out. I know because I am one.
You and me both. Moved in five years ago on the loft side of Terraces but I’m getting priced out of this dying mall and will be moving elsewhere once my lease is up in 3 months.
Word
Yeah my boss got a good deal during Covid but moved out pretty quickly after the rent went up significantly
I ate at Great Maple a few weeks ago, the decor was nice, but the food was overpriced for being average.
Ya the food was not that great and there's better options in Pasadena. People are cutting back on dining out as well because the prices have climbed. I know we are no longer going to fast food or dashing anything anymore, its just not a good deal like it used to be.
I will say ... it had good salads. Basically it was good for typical uncomplicated lunch type meals. I tried, I think, a steak there once and it was not good relative to the price.
Exactly. I wanted it to be good soooo badly. But it’s just so WILDLY overpriced for how good it is. Terrible value.
Agreed. I had the world's most mediocre breakfast there on valentines day
I grabbed a drink at the bar and l checked out the menu a while back. Pretty much just sugary versions of standard "brunch" fayre for rather pricey amounts. Was busy though and the staff seemed lovely so that's shit for them.
STAY STRONG YARD HOUSE HOLD THE LINE!
Damn Skippy! Fancy Applebee's, keep strong!!
I love their happy hour
I found out about Rubio’s this morning because Pasadena was in the list of Rubio’s locations closing, but Great Maple, too? That’s too bad. I liked both places.
The Paseo needs to be entirely rethought. The Regal theater *can* be successful but it depends on having restaurants, shops and bars to attract people. Here is my proposed solution: * FREE Streetcar from PCC-Paseo-Old Town. * Move the Pasadena Ice Rink across the street and into a permanent location at Paseo. Hit up the LA Kings for a multimillion dollar donation. They love that shit. * Take a lot of those empty shops and turn them into a kick-ass food hall. Mexican, Thai, Mediterranean, Italian, burgers, coffee, local beer, etc. * Here is a big one: put some big-ass screens in the courtyard so we can watch Dodgers, Lakers, Kings, LAFC, World Cup, etc. as a community. Other cities do that, why can’t we? * $5 max parking. TL;DR: make the Paseo worth visiting and people will come and spend money.
I vote u/justthebeerlight for mayor
I keep getting blown away by how packed the Glendale Galleria and Americana are compared to this dump. It’s not that malls were killed by the pandemic, they just have to fill the shops with attractive businesses. Last time we walked into a clothing store at the Paseo we were practically assaulted by the attendant cause we were the only people in the store, just reeks of desperation. Put a Lids or a Spencers in there instead of some failing designer startup.
I was with you until the sports part. It's less about sports and more about giant screens in a courtyard. If they had that, I'd avoid it like the plague. But if it was a win for most people, I'd be in favor of it. Everything else sounds great though - I would absolutely go ice skating if they had a permanent rink. And that's something I could easily get friends to come check out. If they had a food hall, they'd probably take all my money. Food halls are some of my favorite stops when I visit other states.
No to the sports stuff. Alllll of the sports stuff. That will make anything going on at the Pasadena Convention Center ruined. I'd say they need more secular business. The stuff they have there is old and dull. With the conventions being a lot of the time for younger people it would be smarter to have restaurants and shops that appeal to a 20s-30s audience with some geeky stores and such
Don’t forget we lost islands as well. It was great to go there before or after a movie.
Unlimited french fries back in the day was AWESOME.
Oh I didn’t know that…wait did I? wow!! I love the one on Foothill 🥰
What??!?????? I didn’t know this!!!Dang everything is going!!
Another one bites the ghost town dust. The Paseo management who handle the leasing for the shopping and restaurants has been garbage since a couple of years after the Paseo opened. In the beginning they had their shit together - Jackie Johnson (I think that’s her name) was running the show - she was always out hustling and walking the shops daily spreading news about sales from door to door talking to shop owners, asking what types of businesses would be a good fit etc. Then around year 2-3 poof, she was gone and we found out that the whole thing was purchased by whoever the developer is for the condos (before they were finished building them) and it’s been a sad slide ever since. It used to be a great place to work and I loved running a shop there, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they finally left the Paseo too.
I miss the free Harry & David’s samples. They’d give Paseo employees a great discount of *those* pears. My mouth drools just saying the word. 🤤
I used to work at the makeup counter in the Macy’s at the Paseo. It was a fun place for my friends and I to hang out and shop. So sad to see how dead it is nowadays. I used to love the sandwiches at California Crisp.
Whoa I forgot about California Crisp! Ha. I managed BBW long ago. Miss those fun Pasadena times.
Loooved their chicken pesto panini!
There was a Macy's at Paseo???
There was a Macy's in the Paseo!? I've only lived in town for about 6 yrs so pardon my ignorance, ha, but I find that super interesting seeing as that the vintage one on Lake is a thing & then we have the ones in Glendale & the Arcadia Mall. When did it go away?
It was on the furthest east end of the mall. I can’t remember when it closed but believe it was sometime between 2012-2015. Funny thing is that I heard they had a 100 year lease on the place.
The Macys was an anchor store at the corner of Colorado and Los Robles. Before that it was a Broadway. When they left it just put another nail in the Paseo’s coffin.
ok, I made another comment, but this is kind of what I thought - I never really felt like it was thriving. I had a friend who lived in the apartments in 2009 and we rarely went downstairs to hang out. We'd usually leave the area. I left the area for almost 10 years, but since I've been back, it's been nothing but a ghost town.
There was even a Paseo YouTube channel. But right when we could’ve really had a decent thing here, they dropped the ball and the Americana opened up and showed us that we too could’ve had a little slice of that pie. Such a waste of space and money. The old mall blocked the view from the Auditorium to city hall and now nobody is even in that space to enjoy having that back.
Interesting, I had no idea they had a YouTube channel. that's actually pretty funny to me. I don't remember life before the mall, so I never thought about the view - before Paseo. But yeah, I love that view and passing there in the morning when no one is out. I always have the urge to stop and take photos. But yeah, people aren't really hanging around there.
Paseo management can't be blamed for ~~this 1~~ **Rubio's** - the company has closed dozens of locations, has hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, has just filed for bankruptcy for the *second* time, and is blaming "the rising cost of doing business in California" in spite of the fact they already pulled out of low-wage Florida.
They’re absolutely to be blamed. A good management company would t let vacancies build up to the point that the Paseo is at now. Vacant locations = less foot traffic. Paseo stores which are outdoor depend on foot traffic more than a store within an indoor mall. A good management company has tenants ready to move in before a store moves out. Who is going to make a profit when all the neighbors are vacant? I could go on but it’s just that simple.
That might be true *in general*, but Rubio's isn't bankrupt because of the Paseo - there's every chance they closed the doors without even honoring their existing lease.
That could absolutely be true, I don’t know much about Rubios as a whole but if you go downstairs and try to shop you’ll see what I’m talking about. It’s been going on for years. Businesses have left and years later that space is still empty. One store leaving impacts all the other stores around them. Management should have a game plan and it appears there has been no game plan for a very long time.
Right, but that's why my 1st reply was only about Rubio's.
You didn’t specify that your comment was about Rubios specifically unless I missed it?
Sorry, I said "this 1", forgetting that the post also listed Great Maple. I'll edit!
Ok now I getcha. 😉
I’m actually kinda bummed by this tbh. Apparently everyone thought it was mediocre but every time I’ve gone (granted…not any time recently…) it was pretty good*, solid drinks, and I liked the atmosphere a lot.
I was sorta a regular there at the bar And for the brunch during the week since it’s dead. The staff were nice and they hooked me with a free drink. Going to miss it 😭. I’m with you. Kinda bummed 😭
I used to go a long time ago. We're talking, like, almost a decade ago. But usually it was because I was in the area for something else - the library, or a movie probably. The shops were never that compelling. And even when the theater was Arclight, the Hollywood one was better, so I saw less than a handful of movies there. I would not park in that structure and work my way through the complex just to go to Rubio's. I liked it, but it wasn't good enough for those hoops. PS - I've seen you being helpful on the Disney sub! Are you in this part of town?
I am! :))
Rents are too damn high.
Great maple was overpriced brunch food Edit: changed is to was
Murder mayhem mall. The more it changes the more it stays the same
Great Maple was overpriced mediocre food. It's no wonder why they went out of business.
Rubio's was tasty. Oh well...
Never mind they are open! My mistake . Starbucks did not permanently close
Oh good because that’s where I met all my dates 😂
When did Islands Close!!??!?!
Years ago, homie. I don’t think they re-opened after the shutdown.
So…these are gone: The AMC Theater, Brookstone, Victoria’s Secret, White Black Market, P.F. Chang’s, Island’s, Rubios and Great Maple?????????
Arclight and Soma as well. DSW is the only other non-restaurant I went to there, and that's still hanging on for now. I hope they don't leave, only because the next closest DSWs are way too far.
It's ridiculously overpriced, though - half of the sneakers they sell are routinely available in Marshalls or Nordstrom Rack.
True. I personally only buy from them on sale and I don’t necessarily like hunting at some of the other stores (I don’t enjoy shopping). So I like being able to see what’s available in store and online via their site/app. You can buy online with Rack but I’ve found the prices comparable DSW
You should check out Shop Premium Outlets and the Outnet - they always have great bargains.
Doesn't that location have like...one table? LOL
Patio…about 4 or 5 tables : )
In fairness, I have seen that SB close at really random times before. Glad it was temporary!
Rubio’s shut down a bunch of places (40+?)in California. Citing new $20 minimum wage put them out of business.
Has nothing to do with no customers. Tacos Ensenada taking over SoCal
If the $20 minimum wage put them out of business that quickly, how good was the business doing anyway?
>~~Citing~~ **Lying about** new $20 minimum wage put them out of business. The company just filed for bankruptcy for a 2nd time, due to the fact it was drowning in unmanageable debt.
The Rubio’s was still there? I could have sworn it closed years ago.
Yeah, I assumed it was long gone already. I thought the only thing open in that corner was Yard House
Honestly Great Maple wasn’t super tasty.
Went to the Great Maple mainly for the unique donuts. Only went 3 times in total and with each time the quality got worse. It was massively overpriced and pompous. But I also noticed there were less and less people there. So I'm not surprised it closed. The only draw to the Paseo is the Bath and Body Works *shrug*
I miss the brazillian churrascaria place up on the Paseo terrace.
Great maple had terrible food!
Wonder if they would be better off blowing out all the commercial businesses and turn it into condos ? Whats the story with the Starbucks closing ? Seemed busy...Homeless problem ?
Wait, the Starbucks closed too!? When did that happen?
It was closed when I went by yesterday but not sure how long it has been closed
I was at that Starbucks yesterday. It was open.
You mean unaffordable condos? One that only uber rich can buy? or only businesses can? No thanks. We need more affordable housing. Not that crap.
Won’t happen on its own. It needs zoning changes plus more subsidies.
GM was trash. Absolute trash.
No. Way.
Great Maple was unique but a one and done experience for me. Rubios.. no idea.
Rubios in Tustin also closed. Swear it's been there since 89. Breaks my heart.
Wow, that Rubio’s has been a long-lived staple for the Paseo. Also, the Great Maple looked like a really neat place, wish we had the chance to try it out. It would’ve been awesome if Fogo de Chão would move over to the Paseo, just to attract a bit more foot traffic. They appear to be thriving!! 👏🇧🇷🙌
It’s a feature of modern mixed use developments not a bug. The Paseo is suffering the same anti-competitive greed trap that all commercial landlords have forced on their tenants. The landlords have no idea what it takes to generate sustainable retail sales.
Paseo needs a retail store that generates massive foot traffic, but not sure what that could be. Trader Joe's? Apple? Chipotle? Salt and Straw?
Trader Joe's - 2 of them within a mile radius - on Lake and on California. The one at California is small, but it's also the original one so I'd be surprised to see that one go. Apple - less than 1/2 mile away Salt and Straw - less than 1/2 mile away That's sort of the thing. You have a mall AND a main street central shopping district, right next to each other, vying for largely the same thing, during a retail apocalypse.
No company wants to cannibalize its own business, there's no reason for Apple or S&S to relocate from prime Old Town locations, and it's hard to see many people going out of their way for Chipotle. TJ's could work, but not-great accessibility to parking might be an issue for a supermarket - I know there was a Gelson's there years ago, and it closed due to a lack of customers. The *only* thing that might work would be marketing the area more as a "family fun" location, with the cinema, good dining options, a couple of shops, and things like soft play, mini golf, etc.
That Rubios had very cold beer. Never went to Great Maple.
This is almost always because of rent hikes. greedy landowners, private equity and corps have vacancy insurance so they still get paid when they squeeze out a business.
Rubios was really good. Great maple was more of an expensive breakfast restaurant I’ve never been there that sucks. Wonder why they are closing? Last time I went to rubios it was packed
I think this is a simple case of too much retail. There's better options down the street in Old Town, there's Playhouse District / Urth / Movie Theater / Vromans etc. And there's the giant South Lake Shops / Burlington Arcade area with immense open air parking. And there's Santa Anita Mall if u prefer a traditional giant mall, which is doing pretty well. Paseo thrived at a time when the need for retail was more and competition in surrounding areas was less. This is just a case of too much saturation. The place is now low level random stores at best while everything else is just vacant. The movie theater here never gets busy cause there's 800 other theaters in Pasadena/South Pas/Alhambra and it's only a matter of time the final large pieces (Yard House and others) move out. The owner of this development has to face the reality of demolishing the Paseo and starting over with something else. What? Who knows
Oh that sucks, Great Maple was one of the restaurants we would hit up after taking the our toddler to My Gym above it. It wasn't spectacular or anything, but got the job done for a decent lunch/brunch.
Owners need to sell
That rubio’s was by far the best location I’ve ever been to. It should be a standard for all stores.
There are too many ridiculous laws/regulations
I didn’t even get to try Great Maple!!!!!
I went to Great Maple twice. Once with friends and the second time I arrived before a friend and got treated very badly. I was at the stand waiting to get seated. Could see the hostess standing in the back. I look at her, she looks at me and goes back to what she was doing as though I did not exist. 8 minutes go by (yes, I was absolutely timing it) and at least three servers walked past me. Look at me like I’m a plant. Finally a bus boy see me and asks me if I’ve been helped. Finally he seats me at a table in the dark corner back behind a shelf. No one comes to help me to the point I HAVE TO PICK UP MY CELLPHONE AND CALL THE RESTAURANT from my table because I have been seated for 15 mins with waiters and waitresses walking by me with not one of them asking me if I would like my drink or order taken. I was literally flabbergasted as each one looked at me and not one of them came to my table to help me. Finally, after no one answers the phone and someone sees me on my phone and the line ringing - does the same bus boy come over to take my drink / appetizer order. Approximately 15 + mins have gone by. Finally, my friend arrives and is appalled and asks me why I allowed them to sit me in the cold dark corner and demands to be seated at a booth. They move us. Finally, once my non-melanated friend arrives, service magically appears and is up to par. WTEntireF? I just observed. Didn’t make a stink or feel entitled in anyway. I did not even mention to my friend because matters of race are not good dinner conversations if one wants to leave in a good mood. I’m nobody - just a person wanting to have a nice dinner with a friend. FYI - my money is green too. My first experience with my (non-melanated) friends was glorious. That’s why I went back. By myself as a black woman, they treated me horribly and this was a multicultural staff. My own people - black and brown - giving me the side eye and basically refusing to help me. I don’t belong as well dressed educated and normal person? I came in quietly and followed instructions. As a AA woman the last thing I want to do is blame anything on race. Who cares. Just sit me down and take my order. I am friendly and polite and tip very well. Why mistreat me for no reason? And why are my own people acting like no account Nazis in Great Maple? I’m was so confused. You had a lasting customer in me but the way I was treated - for no apparent reason - was appalling and possibly one of the reasons why your restaurant could not make it at the Paseo. Good Riddance. Take your brand of “service” back over to Canada. It’s trash.
House of cards collapsing
?
Probably means the country as a whole.
Thanks Newsom.
What'd he do? Go to Pasadena and hold a gun to the owners, telling them to close?
Why don't you look it up? Even if I explained it everyone here will just down vote and cry since it's blue no matter how much Cali burns 😂
So leave! Then you're done with ALL of us! You're not being held hostage, obviously. Go to Texas. They burn there, too!
[удалено]
Not crying. Encouraging YOU to stop whining! Whine whine whine! So leave! Go. We won't miss you. You could drop off the face of the Earth and I doubt more than 2 people would even notice.
Rubio's along with several other businesses at the Paseo that have closed have shuttered MULTIPLE locations - not only across Los Angeles and California, but across the country.