South Hill restaurant Vin Rouge closes shop

South Hill restaurant Vin Rouge closed its doors last weekend and will not reopen.

Owner Jeff Jenkins said he’s decided to close the eatery, at 3029 E. 29th, in part because he could not negotiate a new sublease.

When it opened seven years ago, Jenkins and Tim Hartman were co-owners. Hartman is no longer involved as an owner.

Jenkins said he had a multiyear sublease with the parent company of fast food chain Carl’s Jr., which has the first lease with property owner Harlan Douglass. Jenkins said he has tried without success to negotiate a new sublease with Carl’s Jr.

He speculated that negotiations were affected by the opening of a new Trader Joe’s market later this month in nearby Lincoln Heights Shopping Center.

Officials at Carl’s Jr. may consider the Vin Rouge property an attractive option for a new tenant because Trader Joe’s will attract more traffic to that area, he said.

Another eatery in Lincoln Heights also closed recently. The Jack in the Box at 3020 E. 29th shut down on Sept. 29, said a company spokeswoman. That fast food store has been a corporate-owned location and will not be reopened, the spokeswoman said.

She declined to offer a reason for the closing.