Planet Raw—where the pricey menu was organic, gluten-free, and obviously raw—has vacated the corner of Broadway and Sixth Street after 13 years.
The bistro tables on the typically sunny outdoor patio and all of the exterior signs are gone, Eater L.A. reported Tuesday.
Chef Juliano Brotman told Patch Planet Raw will reopen in about two weeks on Lincoln and Washington boulevards in Marina del Rey. Expect a second location in Hollywood "in the near future," he said.
Rent increases and "difficulties with the landlord" drove Brotman out of Santa Monica, the chef said.
In January, the restaurant announced on its Facebook page that it was looking for investors to fund the expansion. On March 10, it posted, "Planet Raw is in retrograde," which only confused its followers.
Brotman, who opened his first venture in 1994 with help from his sister and mother, relocated Planet Raw to Santa Monica in 2000, according to the restaurant's website.
Did you eat at Planet Raw? What did you think of the restaurant?