Protesters asked for a meeting with Point Dume Village owner Zan Marquis Friday, following the shuttering of Savory Restaurant and the upcoming closure of Point Pizza Malibu.
"We're not stopping ... We want to work with you guys," one of the protesters said to the property's manager, Kathryn Natalia, in her office at the shopping center.
With security guards nearby, Natalia said the decision to keep Point Pizza open was not up to her.
"I'm happy to voice your concerns," Natalia said.
The request to meet with Marquis was made during a rally in support of Point Pizza, which is scheduled to close in December, and Savory, which closed this week.
Point Pizza owner Hye Song Oh, who wants to stay open, said in a statement that she has been overwhelmed by support in the community.
"I am humbled by the way the community has embraced us and fought for what they believe is right," Oh said.
She also wished the best to her neighbor at the shopping center, Savory, which is owned by Paul Shoemaker.
"I would like to express my sorrow that another local, unique business like Savory has closed doors. We all wish Paul and the whole crew at Savory the best of luck," Oh said.
The Point Dume Village management placed a sign outside Savory on Friday with a statement, which read:
Point Dume Village joins those members of the community who are disappointed at the closing of Savory. The owners of Point Dume Village had invested over $600,000 to help ensure its success, while the chef-manager has been working on a new restaurant venture in downtown LA that is reportedly opening next month. The closing is the result of actions taken by the restaurant and not by Point Dume Village. Savory defaulted in the payment of its rent and closed its doors on November 7. Since the closing became known publicly, two local restaurant owners have already expressed interest in opening at this same location. We will do all we can to provide quality local ownership at this same location in the very near future.
Protesters put a sign supportive of Point Pizza over the statement, with some calling it lies.
"It seems like he is doing the same thing to both businesses in different ways," Kim McGee of Malibu said.
McGee said she believes that the closure of Savory and the upcoming closure of Point Pizza is not an accident.
"[Hye Song Oh]'s left without her livelihood. It's cruel. It's bullying," McGee said.
John Mazza, a Malibu planning commissioner, also attended the protest to show support for local businesses.
"It just shows it is very hard to establish a business with this level of overhead," Mazza said.
Mark and Kathy Bowman, who have lived in Malibu 2.5 years, stopped by to purchase some pizza and were not aware of the closure.
"They're a great representation of what this community is about," Kathy Bowman said.
Before the protest began, security officers warned protesters that if they parked at the shopping center, they would be towed.
McGee said that she challenged the officers, and the Point Dume Village management allowed her to park for two hours if she followed through with her plan to buy pizza and shop at Pavilions.
"I'm here because I think this is a human issue by standing up for someone who needs help," she said.
Earlier this week, Savory owner Paul Shoemaker issued a statement explaining that his restaurant was closing due to long standing problems with Marquis.
