It’s no secret that 2025 has been a tough year for restaurant chains. In addition to a number of national burger spots facing closures, including TGI Friday’s and Jack in the Box, smaller chains are struggling in the face of rising overheads and rent prices. In Orange County, California, beloved health food staple Rutabegorz is unfortunately the latest locale forced to shutter (at least one of) its doors.
A self-proclaimed “hippie joint” that started out selling coffee and desserts, Rutabegorz has been an institution in the SoCal area since it first opened its original location in Fullerton in 1970. While, thankfully, that outpost along with another in Orange will stay up and running, its 47-year-old location in Tustin is set to close in late October. As reported in the Orange County Business Journal, Rutabegorz owner Paul Berkman made the decision after the building’s new landlord proposed doubling its $6,000 monthly rent.
The independently owned chain confirmed the location’s closure on Instagram, sharing, “It’s been nothing short of amazing to have lasted over 47 years in Ol’ Town Tustin.” The post continued, “The customers, their families and then THEIR families, city personnel, and a multitude of long term employees have all been a mainstay to Rutabegorz rich history.” The announcement was met with chorus of commenters lamenting the loss. “You have been a huge part of our lives!! We will truly miss the good times at Tustin, the delicious salads and treats, and the lovely people who run the place,” wrote one.
Rutabegorz is beloved for its fresh, healthy fare
Warm, inviting, and decked out in eclectic artwork and decor, the brick-walled outpost debuted in Tustin in 1978. Like the OG spot, it evolved from a pastry cafe to a cult-favorite destination serving up “fresh and natural foods” in line with what its website describes as its “old school” vegetarian values. “We were very radical when we started,” Berkman told the Orange Review in 2015. “We didn’t have sugar on the table and no soda. When you go to Rutabegorz, you find a standard and something new.”…