The booze is about to stop flowing at an iconic Los Angeles bar — where the proprietor says he’s been hammered by a excellent storm of hovering prices, Hollywood’s financial woes and a new era dropping curiosity in alcohol.
With curiosity in consuming drying up and the future of native nightlife on the rocks, the face behind Sherman Oaks’ top-tier Augustine Wine Bar — once hailed as best in the metropolis — says the numbers no longer add up.
After practically 12 years of pouring uncommon vintages and cultivating a fiercely loyal following, the beloved neighborhood favourite will shut its doorways for good on Dec. 19 — making it the newest casualty in LA’s seemingly never-ending hospitality massacre.
Augustine Wine Bar in Sherman Oaks will close after practically 12 years of operation.
David Gibbs instructed the California Post that his usually optimistic outlook on life has been severely tried by the relentless challenges of preserving the business afloat.
“I’m usually a glass half full person, but I’ve been worn down, beaten down by outside factors,” said Gibbs, a co-owner of the Ventura Blvd. vino venue.
The financial squeeze has become so extreme that some ingredients now value more to buy that the restaurant once charged prospects for total dishes, according to Gibbs.
“We can’t raise prices high enough to make it still be profitable,” he defined.
And out-of-control overhead is only half of the downside.
With curiosity in wine drying up and LA nightlife seemingly on the rocks, the house owners of Sherman Oaks’ top-tier Augustine Wine Bar — hailed by some as the best in the San Fernando Valley — can no longer look at the glass half full.
Augustine has been hit exhausting by the struggles of two industries that helped maintain the institution for years, Gibbs said — leisure and hospitality.
Many of the wine bar’s regulars were Hollywood employees — or fellow restaurant staff who would stop in on their days off to splurge on a particular bottle of wine.
With both of those industries in the struggle of their lives, many of Gibbs’ former best prospects merely don’t have enough disposable income.
The intimate Ventura Boulevard vacation spot grew to become a refuge for Valley wine fanatics, incomes a devoted following for its educated workers, adventurous alternatives and relaxed environment.
Gibbs also pointed to the reputation of GLP-1 weight loss medicines — along with what he described as a new wave of temperance-style attitudes towards consuming as contributing components.
After opening in 2014, Augustine rapidly carved out a repute as a wine lover’s paradise — offering food and an spectacular choice of bottles in a cozy, moody setting.
Rather than cater to wine snobs, the bar sought to be the variety of neighborhood hangout where regulars could settle in for a glass and really hear themselves discuss.
The intimate spot grew to become a refuge for Valley wine fanatics, incomes a devoted following for its educated workers, adventurous alternatives and relaxed environment. This particular mix earned the business appreciable essential acclaim as properly, including a “Best of LA” nod in LA Weekly at the time.
After doing their best to keep afloat, Gibbs and his companions broke the unhappy information that issues were coming to an finish in an Instagram post on Sunday.
“We didn’t make this decision lightly, and it’s certainly not the ending we envisioned,” they wrote in an emotion-packed post. “But after considerable thought, and an honest assessment of where the business stands today, we’ve come to the conclusion that it’s simply no longer financially sustainable to continue.”
For those that seen Augustine as more than just a place to grab a drink, the information has been a bitter tablet to swallow.
“Totally gutted,” one heartbroken fan commented on the post. “In no good world should this be happening.”