Beetle House LA may give up the ghost
Update: The Go Fund Me page to keep Beetle House open is here.
Bad news: Beetle House LA has announced that it may be going out of business. On June 25, the restaurant-bar-nightclub posted a message to its fans on Facebook and Instagram, confirming rumors of the the venue’s precarious circumstances while also offering slim ray of hope:
As it stands today… Beetle House LA, in its current form, will cease to exist after July.
Could that change? Possibly.
Could we get the miracle we need? Possibly.
Could this be the end? Also possible.
We’re exploring everything: fundraising, private investors, relocating… but right now, we need people in the building spending money if we’re going to survive.
Update: When this article posted early today, we were uncertain whether Beetle House LA remained open, because its official phone number was “currently unavailable” when we called, and a link to make reservations led only to the venue’s Yelp page. Since then, our email inquiry has received a response, informing us that Beetle House is open during scheduled hours Thursday through Sunday, and you can make reservations here. (There are two links for reservations on the Beetle House website’s home page: the one at the top right works; one farther down the page, marked “Dine with Us,” still leads to the Yelp page.)
Located at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Beetle House LA has provided a unique dining-and-drinking experience for eight years, featuring decor and cocktails inspired by classic horror and the films of Tim Burton, along with cabaret style entertainment on the spookier side of the spectrum. Unfortunately, the business (which is actually more a labor of love than a for-profit enterprise for the owner) has taken several hits over the past five years, including theft, the pandemic (which led to the loss of a major investor, and ripple effects from the California wildfires and the immigration raids targeting Los Angeles (which have negatively impacted the hospitality industry).
If Beetle House LA gives up the ghost, it will join The Phantom Carriage Brewery (reviewed here) and The Lost Spirits Distillery in the graveyard of year-round horror-and-fantasy-themed themed venues that have gone out of business in Los Angeles.
Read the complete message from Beetle House LA below:
You may have heard the rumors… Are we closing? What’s happening?
We’ve gotten so many messages from you and first—we just want to say thank you.
Most businesses wouldn’t share this publicly… but we’ve never been like most businesses. This is embarrassing. It’s heartbreaking. It’s not the post we ever wanted to write—but it’s the truth.
You’ve been our family, our friends, our community for 8 years we need to be honest with you.
Where we’re at: We’re facing some really hard decisions. Whether we close, or move, or take one last shot to save this place… we don’t know yet.
How did we get here?
The pandemic shut us down for over a year. An investor pulled out, leaving us with a $500,000 hole. A manager stole $60,000 and vanished. Then came the LA fires. Now the immigration crisis that’s devastated hospitality in this city.
We’re not just a restaurant. We’re a restaurant, a bar, a nightclub, dinner theater, and a spooky immersive experience—all rolled into one. And that comes with huge operating costs:
$50,000 a week just to break even.
$40,000+ monthly rent.
$30,000+ weekly payroll.
We’ve drained our finances. Borrowed during the pandemic. Pushed as hard as we could for as long as we could.
We’re not posting this for sympathy. We’ve never asked for help before—not even during COVID.
We’re just tired.
As it stands today… Beetle House LA, in its current form, will cease to exist after July.
Could that change? Possibly.
Could we get the miracle we need? Possibly.
Could this be the end? Also possible.
We’re exploring everything: fundraising, private investors, relocating… but right now, we need people in the building spending money if we’re going to survive.
For every person who came, ate, sang, screamed, worked, quit, loved or hated us,—thank you. You all mattered and built this!
If this is the end… we leave with gratitude and our heads held high.
We created something we loved… for people who loved it… for 8 spooky, ridiculous, incredible years.
New York remains open and strong.
We love you. 🎃 Beetle House La team.
Visit the official website: BeetleHouse LA
