The OP Cafe in Santa Monica has been operating at the same location for four decades. Photo: OP Cafe
It’s the end of the road for the OP Cafe.
The bright yellow breakfast and lunch spot located at 3117 Ocean Park Boulevard will be closing up shop for good after more than four decades in business.
“I am bummed,” owner Mark Verge tells The Sun. “I grew up on that place. Always went there. So when I got the chance to buy it, I did. I got like 15 calls today from friends saying, ‘We’re so bummed…’”
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Verge — a Santa Monica native, who also operates Ashland Hill (2807 Main Street), Art’s Table (1002 Montana Avenue), Golden Bull (170 West Channel Road) and Margo’s (1534 Montana Avenue) — says the OP Cafe has been bleeding cash since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We gave it a great try,” he says. “The community has been great, but losing (customers from) the business park kind of killed us, I think.”
“Everything else has been booming. Golden Bull is booming. OP is the only one that isn’t making it.”
Verge and his wife, Lani, purchased the restaurant (formerly known as Ocean Park Cafe) in 2006.
The doors will close for good at the end of business on Sunday, September 26.
All remaining 20 employees will move to Verge’s other restaurants.
No jobs will be lost.
“It is tough, but no one died here,” Verge admits. “Some people have had some real tragedies because of the pandemic. We will all be fine. This is not a tragedy. It’s a new adventure.”
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