Gardner Junction Goes on Indefinite Hiatus Four Months In

Hollywood’s Gardner Junction is officially closed as of last night, with no signage left on the restaurant itself to let customers know. Their Yelp page now lists a temporary reopening date for 2016, and their OpenTable account is offline.

So what happened?

Per several members of the staff, the sudden shutter comes from the top down, with owner Claudiu Marinescu running into payment issues (both to vendors and employees) almost immediately after opening. Ultimately, Marinescu reportedly texted out to a handful of staff just before service yesterday indicating that the restaurant would be closed indefinitely, and sent home everyone who had shown up that day for work.

Reached for comment, reps for Marinescu wouldn’t comment on payment details, but say that the shutdown instead has to do with a swift chef changeover. According to them, chef Steve Brown’s vision for the restaurant didn’t match Marinescu’s, which created a rift that ultimately tore the place apart and forced the unexpected closure.

They’re also adamant that Gardner Junction will be back sometime very soon, albeit with a new kitchen staff and likely with a new dining format as well, though the name and the restaurant itself should remain the same.

For now, one thing is certain: Gardner Junction, which struggled for a few years just to get off the ground, is now closed indefinitely just four months after coming to life.