Sausage Shop Picnik and Cocktail Lounge Punch Lose Their Leases in Old Town Pasadena

Eduardo Ruiz's Picnik and Punch, which might've been the hippest restaurant and bar duo in Old Town, shuttered abruptly over the weekend. According to this Instagram posting, both concepts lost their lease, which is a shame since Old Town seems to be in the middle of a resurgence. At least one building has taken cues from Sawtelle and SGV, adding 85 Degrees, Bachi Burger, and Blockheads in the past year, with Guppy Tea House in tow.

Either way, Picnik's beer & brats combination, which works to great success at places like Wurstkuche, just wasn't something that the landlord in Old Town was interested in. Also Punch, which had slightly more limited hours, but some of the best cocktails in Pasadena. According to Instagram, Ruiz hopes to bring the two concepts to another home in Pasadena, though nothing is set in stone at the moment.

See the full statement below, which thanks supporters over the past year:

We have known several months that we were going to lose the lease for PICNIK Pasadena. We have been shopping for a new location in hopes that we could announce the new home before we had to vacate the space, but we have not found a new home that we believe is the perfect fit for the concept. PICNIK closed to the public Sunday night. We hope to announce new locations as soon as possible.

We would like to sincerely thank you for your support of PICNIK and PUNCH. We are proud that both concepts enjoyed an extremely successful run, but oftentimes business necessitates that we make difficult decisions and moves.

Please DO stay tuned, as we hope to have some very exciting news for PUNCH, and PICNIK coming soon.
So we've reached the bottom of the bowl... Our PUNCH FAMILY feels honored and privileged to have served the City Of Pasadena. We can't thank everyone enough for the fun and support we've received. We hope that our passion and love for what we do has been felt by all of you who have walked through our "Red Door". Till next time...