After 30 years, The Living Room in La Jolla is boxing up its furnishings and moving … two blocks east.
The Living Room will close at 1010 Prospect St. on Dec 25 and reopen Jan 1 at 1205 Prospect St., in the Manchester Financial Building.
“Everything happened very quickly,” said Rita Francis, The Living Room’s general manager.
The new building management for the cafe’s current space “wanted us out,” Francis said, in order to redevelop the building.
“Now we’re working on the new location,” she said, adding she hopes customers will settle into the fresh space.
“Everybody knows us; everyone loves The Living Room,” Francis said. “We’ve been there forever.”
“It’s just mixed emotions right now,” she said. “We’re all from different backgrounds. I started working there 16 years ago, and The Living Room became like a home for me. I’ve met so many people, good friends, coworkers.”
The staff “is like a family,” Francis added, one that will all be moving to the new location together.
Owner Sam Azzu worked tirelessly once he heard to find a new spot in The Village, she said.
“You cannot take The Living Room out of La Jolla, because this is one of the iconic places [here].”
The “amazing” new spot will be better, Francis said, as the current location is fairly old and needed upkeep.
“We want to thank all the regulars [who] have been coming the past 30 years or so,” Francis said.
