California’s restaurant landscape is thinning fast this spring, with Black Box Intelligence estimating about 15% of U.S. restaurants will close in 2026, and full-service concepts taking the hardest hit.
The biggest local story: Chez TJ, the Michelin-starred French tasting-menu destination at 938 Villa Street, announced on April 15 it would serve its final meals at the end of April 2026.
Reservations stopped that same day. After 43 years inside an 1894 Victorian on the California Register of Historical Resources — and a 19-year Michelin run that incubated chefs like Christopher Kostow and Joshua Skenes — owner George Aviet cited health and financial pressures. His framing: “Fine dining is fine dying. People don’t want to sit for two hours anymore and spend $200 on a meal.”
Mountain View’s casual tier took a hit earlier in the quarter.
Los Portales, the family-run Mexican spot at 430 Moffett Boulevard, served its final plates February 10 after 34 years, tied in part to Moffett Plaza’s approved six-story apartment redevelopment.
California chain closures in motion this month:…