Vin Rouge closure tied to negotiations with Carl’s Jr.
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.
He helped open the restaurant in the Lincoln Heights area seven years ago.
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 been unable to negotiate a new sublease with Carl’s Jr.
He speculated that negotiations were affected by the activity in that area related to the opening later this month of a new Trader Joe’s market in 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 also 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.