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It’s last call at a beloved bar at one of Downtown Santa Monica’s best-known corners — the latest high-profile fatality in an ongoing apocalypse turning the commercial core of the upscale beachside burg into a graveyard of empty storefronts.
The Misfit Bar and Restaurant, a softly-lit gastropub inside the city’s historic Clock Tower building, will officially shutter this weekend after 15 years.
Owner LGO Hospitality opted not to renew the lease, pointing to ongoing frustrations with the property —including inconsistent building ownership — as well as a decline in foot traffic and overall conditions.
After cycling through five different building owners — each less invested than the last, the restaurant said — the legacy it had worked hard to build with loyal customers was slowly eroded.
“Another restaurant is going down in Santa Monica,” Derrick Townsend, a Santa Monica City Council Candidate, posted on X. “I’ve lost count of how many this will be for 2026.”
The Promenade’s vacancy rate has been reported at around 25%, although locals who spoke to The Post previously felt that number was closer to 50%.
The Misfit’s closure adds to a growing list of disappointments in the area, where vacant storefronts, rising costs and post-pandemic shifts have hollowed out what was once one of the LA area’s most popular shopping and dining corridors.
“Since its doors opened in 2011, The Misfit has been one of the busiest and local cornerstones near the 3rd Street Promenade,” the eatery posted on their Instagram.
Unlike trend-driven pop-ups, The Misfit was a reliable go-to for a decade and a half. An Art Deco-inspired dining room and a popular happy hour ensured it remained a bright spot in a faltering neighborhood.
Online, fans are already mourning the loss.
“Crying since once of my favorite spots is closing down,” a devastated fan posted on Instagram, who went to The Misfit last night for one last hurrah. “I’ll never forget all the memories I have here.”
“We are CRUSHED,” another longtime patron posted. “Been coming here since 2013!!! So much history!!.”
“Hope you guys know that locals are MAD about this,” a user commented on The Misfit’s post announcing the news.
The group says it’s scouting a new location to revive the concept elsewhere—but old timers, that’s beside the point.
The Misfit isn’t just another restaurant closing; it’s a bellwether for the collapse of the Downtown Santa Monica area, increasingly defined by retail vacancies and an out-of-control homeless population.
“I hate this so much,” a saddened Redditor posted online. “My fave bar in Santa Monica. Absolutely insane, there’s nothing left downtown.”
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