One of Idyllwild’s most popular restaurants has closed its doors.
Cafe Aroma recently made the announcement on Facebook:
The restaurant was closed by owners Kathy and Hubert Halkin on July 23, according to the Press Enterprise:
Standing on the steps of Cafe Aroma’s sprawling wooden deck Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 8, Kathy Halkin explained that her husband’s health is deteriorating and they’ve been looking to sell since March.
Then the 13,000-acre Cranston fire struck last month, she said. And they had to unload their inventory because the fire knocked out power and threatened to rot their food. They ended up giving most to another restaurant that fed firefighters.
Still, she said, “We were at a crossroads anyway and this kind of put us over the top.”
Cafe Aroma actually has been closed since July 23. With the busy Jazz in the Pines festival set to kick off Friday, Aug. 10, the owners thought about reopening. But that would have required restocking from scratch amid the prospect of a sales decline.
A listing on BizBuySell shows Cafe Aroma listed at $149,000 with a lease of nearly $4,000 per month. The listing notes gross revenues of over a million dollars a year.
The restaurant has an average of 4 out of 5 stars after over 600 reviews on Yelp.
