Battle of Irv's Burgers Is Over, Longtime Weho Restaurant Closing Wednesday

After a battle to stay open that has lasted almost a year, Irv's Burgers in West Hollywood is set to serve its last meal. The restaurant has been located at 8289 Santa Monica Blvd. since 1950. 

The Hong family, which has operated Irv's since 2000, will be attempting to relocate within West Hollywood but will close Wednesday, according to a post on saveirvsburgers.com. 

Signs of trouble began back in January when owner Sonia Hong told West Hollywood Patch she was being pressured to relocate in order to make way for a new restaurant.

Hong reported that associates of her new commercial neighbors went to the sidewalk eatery in late December bearing warnings of a rent increase, termination of her month-to-month lease and offers of leads to new places where she could relocate Irv's. Hong said she didn't know the full names of the individuals who approached her.

The family has been operating the eatery on a month-to-month basis since their five-year lease expired.

"There's two units in this one lot," Hong said in January. "This guy who's putting a coffee shop is trying to kick me out of this place, and he's trying to put his own mini-Johnny Rockets.... I want to stay here and work it out instead of getting kicked out."

In January 2011, the West Hollywood Historic Preservation Commission approved plans for a beach-themed cafe next to Irv's in addition to improvements to the burger stand. At the time, Los Angeles-based property owner Steven Bohbot of Standard Oil Investment Group said he intended to keep the Hongs as tenants and incorporate Irv's into the property's redevelopment plan.

"Our whole concept is assimilating Irv's old school with this new design, we're even doing improvements to Irv's," Bohbot said. "I don't know why she's so worried... I definitely would not want them to leave."

The tune changed dramtically in June when Hong was served a 30-day notice to vacate the premises.

Things looked more promising in July when Hong told Patch that there's "no deadline right now. Everything's still up in the air. Somehow we got more time to stay." She also added things seemed more "back to normal." Around that time, Hong started up her website to get help from the community to save the restaurant.

But now, as the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday, Hong "is being squeezed out by rising rents and the property owner's demand that the owners replace its leaky corrugated tin roof — something Hong says she cannot afford."

West Hollywood designated Irv's Burgers as a "local cultural resource" in 2006, which means that tearing down the building would be difficult for any property owner to get permission to do. Bohbot has said the plan is to rehabilitate the building and keep it operating as a restaurant.

What do you think of Irv's closing? Do you have any favorite memories of the place? Tell us in the comments. 

Joe Taglieri and Redmond Carolipio contributed to this report.