:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60068427/Screen_Shot_2018_06_14_at_1.13.17_PM.0.png)
In 2018, Long Beach has lost a slew of longstanding eateries, including the Sky Room, Paradise Bar and Restaurant, the Acapulco Inn, along with the pending closure of Bigmista’s Barbecue on July 1. It‘s time to add another LBC place to this list, as owners Louise and David Solzman will close their sit-down restaurant Delius on June 30.
The husband and wife team announced the closure in a June 6 email. The Soltzmans cited many issues, including increased minimum wages, inconsistent business, and the burden of staying relevant. Delius‘s closure marks an eleven-year-old run in Signal Hill, but their original Bixby Knolls location opened with an entirely prix fixe menu in 1996. Below is an excerpt of the email outlining the Soltzmans’ decision:
“There are many reasons that have contributed to our decision to shut the doors and we have struggled for a long time before realizing there is no other choice. Among all the factors that have affected us both locally and in our industry in general, the one issue that proved to be insurmountable was our payroll. The rising minimum wage is a critical issue and every one of our dedicated employees deserves to make a wage they can live on after putting in a hard day’s work each time they clock in. It is painful to know that we were unable to adapt, what has become an antiquated business model, to the quickly changing standards of today’s food service industry. Full service restaurants have been the cornerstone of the dining experience here in California and across the country for many decades but are quickly becoming less viable as a concept.”
The Solzmans are still in the restaurant game, as they apply finishing touches to Table 301 in Downtown Long Beach. The new restaurant will be in the revitalized Promenade along with restaurants such as Beachwood BBQ and Brewery, the Thick Shake Factory, Michael’s Pizzeria and Dog Haus. The forthcoming Portuguese Bend Distillery is across the street, and should open in 2018.
