Thousand Oaks’ Borderline Bar & Grill, Site of a 2018 Mass Shooting, to Be Torn Down

Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, site of the November 2018 mass shooting that left 12 people dead and more than a dozen injured, is set to be demolished next month, per KTLA. The decision was made public by Thousand Oaks city officials, who say the planned demolition is at the request of the property owner.

As recently as December 2019, owners Brian Hynes and Troy Hale had planned to reopen the country and western bar, but the coronavirus pandemic seems to have scuttled that opportunity forever. With taxes accruing on the property, the LA Times says, Hynes chose not to renew the lease and the property defaulted back to the landlords. That unnamed group is now seeking to demolish the Borderline structure entirely. It’s unclear what may be done with the property after the building is razed, but Thousand Oaks officials say the current ownership group is allowing for some on-site items (either memorabilia from the bar, or crosses and other memorial pieces) to be taken home by victims and their family members. A permanent memorial of some kind could also be incorporated into any new permanent structure erected on the site in the future.

In other news:

• Sister restaurants Bestia and Bavel have both decided to close for the time being, as the takeout-only model has not proven very sustainable, or fun, for either. Owners Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis say on Instagram: “Our restaurants were not designed to operate this way.”
• Low-carb, gluten-free ghost kitchen restaurant Impasta has signed a lease for a physical storefront space at 459 Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills, reports Toddrickallen. Paperwork, including a request for (eventually) on-site patio dining, is up now at that address, which formerly belonged to the Roxbury Cafe.
• Vaka Burger is still working on its long-held space in Historic Filipinotown, including some recent tiling that went up around the newly built kitchen last month.
• Smoked meat pop-up the Bad Jew is teaming up with Gamboge in Lincoln Heights for a one-day event on January 31, selling pork pastrami sandwiches, sides, and snacks.

• Godiva Chocolatiers is closing all of its retail locations nationwide, reports SF Gate. That includes outlets at the Glendale Galleria, in Manhattan Village, at the Del Amp Fashion Center, and beyond.
• The folks behind celebrity-fueled high-end clubstaurant Catch are opening another spot in Los Angeles, just south in the former Fig & Olive space on Melrose Place. The restaurant will be called Catch Steak, and should open this summer, reports the LA Times.
• The former District by Hannah An at 8722 W. 3rd St. is apparently being flipped to an upscale Mexican restaurant called Mamá for Dios out of Rancho Cucamonga. The restaurant has signage up now, and is promoting the expansion on its website.
• The Los Angeles Mission’s latest project is Do It For LA, which is meant to bring together artists, restaurants, and others around the city for collaborative charity efforts during the pandemic. First up is a Pizzaslime, Dillon Francis, and La Poubelle clothing collaboration.