Barney's Beanery Might Disappear From West Hollywood If Developers Have Their Way

Looks like big changes could be coming to the legendary Barney’s Beanery in West Hollywood, as the longtime food and drink spot may possibly go under the knife as part of a massive new build. Curbed has all the details on the proposed new project, which would see Barney’s get entirely disassembled and then returned to its original glory sometime down the line.

It’s a scary prospect for Barney’s Beanery fans who frequent the Santa Monica Boulevard location, as that outpost — the original in the chain — has been an enduring part of city lore for decades. The proposal to build a 113-room hotel on the site of the current restaurant means that Barney’s would have to close entirely for an unspecified amount of time, with each iconic piece of the 1920’s era bar and restaurant being stored away until it could be rehabbed and rebuilt on the ground floor of the new property.

If the development actually earns all the necessary approvals and moves forward, owners VE Equities would also seek to add 244 subterranean parking spots, plus a live music venue and more. That certainly will transform the corner location, even if Barney’s Beanery were to eventually return sometime down the line.

This isn’t the first time that major, sometimes negative, news has affected this location of Barney’s Beanery. For decades the bar kept an offensively anti-gay sign behind the bar (it only came down in 1984), and back in 2008 a man was stabbed and killed in the parking lot. It is entirely possible though, that after all those years and run-ins, a hotel could be what does Barney’s Beanery in. At least temporarily.