Red O La Jolla to Close April 20, 2026; 91 Employees Affected

Red O La Jolla LLC submitted a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification with the California Employment Development Department that lists a permanent closure of its La Jolla Village Drive restaurant, affecting 91 employees, with layoffs scheduled to take effect on April 20, 2026. The filing was submitted on February 16, 2026 and identifies the action as a permanent closure.

The location at 4340 La Jolla Village Drive has operated as the La Jolla outpost of chef Rick Bayless’s Red O concept. The restaurant is described in the filing materials as an upscale Mexican restaurant and has been in service for almost nine years.

The WARN notice triggers state procedural requirements for employers of this size. The filing reflects that the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers to give at least 60 days’ notice before a mass layoff, plant closure or relocation, and that under California law employers with 75 or more employees must provide advance notice when planning mass layoffs. The filing itself includes the phrase "lists a permanent closure" and states that "the filing indicates the layoffs are expected to be permanent."

The notice specifies that "91 employees will be affected" but offers no breakdown by role, shift, or full-time versus part-time status. The filing materials also state that "Additional information about the closure and employee transition has not been provided" and that "The company has not shared a reason for the closure." There is no mention in the filing of severance arrangements, reassignments within the Red O concept, or whether other Red O locations are affected.

Because the notice was filed with the California Employment Development Department, it must be delivered to affected employees and to state and local government representatives as required by law. The submission date of February 16, 2026 sets the 60-day window that culminates with the April 20, 2026 effective date named in the filing.

Unless the employer amends the WARN filing or provides further details, the La Jolla Red O is scheduled to close on April 20, 2026, ending nearly nine years of operation at 4340 La Jolla Village Drive and placing 91 restaurant workers out of their current positions. Additional information about employee transition or the reason for the closure has not been provided in the filing.