Business & Tech
Point Pizza Malibu Closing its Doors
A manager at the popular pizza and sandwich shop says the owner of the Point Dume Village did not want to renew the lease.
UPDATE at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10: The son-in-law for Hye Song Oh, who owns Point Pizza, said she has made changes, including offering some organic ingredients. Also, a rally is set for 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 at the Point Dume Village on Heathercliff Road and Pacific Coast Highway. Read more: Outraged Malibu Residents Plan Rally to Save Point Pizza.
UPDATE at 12:12 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10: Point Dume Village owner Zan Marquis says he agonized over the decision to replace Point Pizza Malibu with D'Amores Famous Pizza. Read more: UPDATE: Owner Says He Agonized Over Point Pizza Decision.
UPDATE at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9: Opposition to the announcement about the change at Point Dume Village erupted over social media overnight. A Facebook group called "Save Point Pizza" popped up, and had 473 fans as of 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, and nearly 900 by midnight Wednesday. See more social media reaction by reading: Malibu Reacts to Closing of Point Pizza.
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UPDATE at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9: The property manager for the Point Dume Village says Point Pizza Malibu's lease expired and that the owner of the shopping center opted to go with another locally operated pizza place as part of an effort to improve quality. Read more: Property Manager Says Point Pizza Given Chance to Improve Quality.
ORIGINAL POST from Monday, Oct. 8: Point Pizza Malibu will be closing at the Point Dume Village in December.
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"The end of December is going to be our last day," said Eric Ramirez, manager at Point Pizza, which had been in business for nearly 25 years.
Ramirez said local customers have been upset over the news, but the owner of the shopping center, Zan Marquis, did not want to renew the lease.
"We’re trying to stay here," Ramirez said. "He doubled the rent, and we agreed to pay, but it still didn’t work."
A statement on the Point Pizza Facebook page reported that the reason the owner decided to opt for another operator is not known.
"All we can say is that the landlord has told us that he has decided to lease to another operator that will do gourmet, all organic, all natural pizza, which is keeping in his new direction for Point Dume Village. We would like to thank all of the Malibu residents and our loyal customers that have supported us over the last 24 years," the statement read.
Marquis did not respond to repeated requests over email and the phone for comment.
Malibu City Councilman Skylar Peak, who lives near the shopping center, said he was "devastated" by the news.
"I'm crushed," Peak said. "That business has supported employing local kids since its been around and [the owner] Hye Song [Oh] is one of the most courteous, nicest business operators you could ever ask for in the city of Malibu."
He acknowledged the property owner has rights, but said it is time to "preserve the character of local businesses in this town." When pressed, he did not provide specifics.
"Something needs to happen. It is hard to get anything that people will agree on. I hate to say that. We've got to come up with something legit," Peak said, adding that he does not want to see a chain store go in.
A Facebook post on the Preserve Malibu Coalition page called on community members to protest.
"Malibu, are you all hearing this? Another beloved Malibu business evicted. Guido's gone, now our local Pizza. When is enough, enough?" the post stated.
Across town, Antonio Castanos, the owner of Guido’s, recently announced the popular restaurant will be closing after failing to reach a long-term lease agreement. The owner of the Malibu Village, Matt Khoury, told the Malibu Times that Castanos opted to end a month-to-month lease.
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