Wedding day nightmare as popular California venue suddenly closes, leaving couples scrambling

Wedding bells just turned into alarm bells for couples counting on one of California’s most scenic oceanfront venues.

Ventana Grill in Pismo Beach is shutting down for good Sept. 12, with reservations ending at 8 p.m. that night.

Staff confirmed the permanent closure, but offered little indication of why the popular restaurant and wedding venue is suddenly going dark, according to The San Luis Obispo Tribune.

Wedding bells just turned into alarm bells for couples counting on one of California’s most scenic oceanfront venues. Dusan Petkovic – stock.adobe.com
The Ventana Grill venue. Instagram/ventanagrill

And for couples with weddings on the books, the clock is ticking.

A Nextdoor user said that Ventana coordinators were already working with couples who had upcoming wedding reservations to find alternate accommodations.

The restaurant’s website also appeared to be offline as of Saturday.

OpenTable showed no reservations beyond the Sept. 12 cutoff.

A bride and groom stand before a priest during an outdoor wedding ceremony in a park on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017. Jacob Lund – stock.adobe.com

The abrupt exit comes after years of drawing locals, tourists and couples to its prime perch at 2575 Price St., where diners could take in sweeping 180-degree views of the coastline.

Ventana Grill opened in April 2010 following a lengthy renovation of the former Pelican Point restaurant.

The makeover brought a new name and a revamped space built around its panoramic coastal views.

The venue even had its own bizarre tourist attraction, the infamous “staircase to nowhere,” an outdoor spiral staircase that went up without leading anywhere.

Ventana Grill opened in April 2010 following a lengthy renovation of the former Pelican Point restaurant. Instagram/ventanagrill

Its kitchen also had some serious local star power.

Former executive chef Ricardo Ortega served up fresh cuisine inspired by Latin America and California.

He was also the chef at Custom House in Avila Beach.


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