Diners Sad About Esquire Grill's Sudden Closing

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - An iconic Sacramento restaurant is now permanently closed, catching diners by surprise.

The Esquire Grill had been in business for 20 years and was a popular place for celebrities and others coming to the capitol. Now, with more competition and nearby construction, owners say they're pulling the plug.

As customers come to the Esquire Grill Monday night, they're finding the doors locked and lights out.

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"It was quite a surprise," said Esquire Grill customer Cesar Diaz.

"It's going to be a great loss," said customer Alice Perez.

The restaurant opened two decades ago and was named after the historic movie theater next door.  It's located at the base of the Esquire building. With a distinctive blue light running down the side, it could be seen from miles away at night.

"I work in this building and I was like, how come I didn't know they were closing," said Perez.

She ate at the restaurant just last week.

"The service was always excellent, everything was great, staff was wonderful, they gave no indication whatsoever that they were leaving or closing," she said.

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For years it was a place known for VIP  sightings.  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had an inaugural dinner there and he was known to frequent the restaurant during his time in office.

"This place is notorious for seeing...important individuals, politicians, celebrities, business CEOs," said Diaz.

Owners of the restaurant are closing the doors for good, saying in a Facebook post: "This was the best decision for our business and staff."

Owners say their lease was up soon and blame the city's two-year-long renovation of the convention center and community center theater with potentially disrupting traffic and their customers.

"It's a significant portion of what they're counting on then I can see them making that decision," said Perez.

For those regulars who have gotten to know the chefs and servers, it's a big loss.

"It's a sad day for all of us here, we hope that the next place that comes around is successful," said Diaz.

The closure does not impact the Esquire Grill inside of Sacramento International Airport's Terminal B which is operated by different owners.