Trader Vic’s Closed

Tiki-lovin’ Trader Vic’s, located on the first floor of the Hotel Palomar near SMU, closed unexpectedly yesterday.

“We’re not sure what we’re going to do with it yet,” Kip Sowden, a principal with Realty America Group, which owns the Palomar, told me yesterday. The owners are exploring their options and should know “in a couple of weeks” whether Trader Vic’s will reopen or if the space will be converted to a different concept.

As Teresa Gubbins reported yesterday, a message on Trader Vic’s answering machine told callers the restaurant is closed “while undergoing renovation.”

Hmmm. The rumored closure has been swirling around for weeks. Sorry to see Vic’s go…again. The chef, Mike Owens, is a nice guy. Talented, too.