The Rose Is Closing Forever on December 15 in Venice After 45 Years | Eater LA
"One of Venice’s most iconic and enduring restaurants—relaunched in 2015 under Sprout restaurant group (Bestia, Republique, Vespertine) and chef Jason Neroni—will close permanently after brunch service on December 15, 2024. A representative issued a statement attributing “economic shifts and reduced neighborhood foot and tourist traffic” for the closure and saying, “Unfortunately, these factors have made it unsustainable to continue operating a chef-driven restaurant of this scale in Venice.” The restaurant first opened in 1979 as a beloved local under the ownership of Kamal Kapur and Manhar Patel; Kapur and Patel remained invested but ceded operations and a majority ownership stake to Sprout in 2015. At that time Sprout’s managing partner Bill Chait (who is no longer involved with the group) brought on design firm Studio UNTLD to overhaul the interior, implementing an industrial look with pops of colorful vintage posters. The spot served upwards of 10,000 people a week—“making it one of the busiest restaurants in Southern California,” Neroni stated. Neroni, formerly of Superba Snack Bar, helmed a California-Italian menu that included the miso cacio e pepe and smoked bucatini carbonara that became beloved over the years; he parted ways with Sprout in December 2023 after the sudden closure of the five-month-old Culver City restaurant Best Bet, and the split meant he was no longer involved with the operation. Following the closure announcement, Neroni posted a statement on Instagram on December 1, 2024, calling himself the “custodian/conductor/watcher” of the restaurant and likening it to a “beautiful, majestic beast.” Sprout announced former Broken Spanish and current Qué Bárbaro chef Ray Garcia as Neroni’s replacement in February 2024; Garcia spruced up the daytime menu and refreshed the dinner menu, removing most of the pizza and pasta dishes in favor of a market-driven California menu with international flavors, including roasted chicken with aji verde and crispy pork shank with garlic mojo and tortillas. Sprout has not announced plans for the space for 2025 and beyond, leaving one of Venice’s largest restaurants without a known future for now." - Matthew Kang
