Casa del Mar, the Baja, California-style restaurant tucked away in the northernmost corner of the Galleria Mall, quietly closed its doors this weekend. The restaurant announced the closing Monday morning on Facebook.
The creative team of Bruce Lazarus, Doug Czufin and Mike Michaelis, who masterminded the successful Canyon Cafe concept, thanked customers and invited them to visit the long-running cafe in Plaza Frontenac.
The restaurant got off to a rocky start when protestors staged a Ferguson-related ‘die-in’ protest at the Galleria on November 28, one day after Casa del Mar opened. The Missouri National Guard temporarily shut down the mall.
The closing follows a strong bid this summer to revamp the menu, amp up the decor and raise public awareness of the concept with a well-designed "Grand Fiesta" social media and marketing campaign.
In a short email, owner Bruce Lazarus says, “Even though we gave it our best shot with the 'Grand Fiesta,' our sales movement was not enough to sustain a viable restaurant without compromising on quality or service, two standards from which we do not deviate from.”
