Blue Plate Oysterette, a Santa Monica restaurant, closing Jan. 2026 amid homeless crisis in area

Blue Plate Oysterette in Santa Monica closing

Blue Plate Oysterette, a beloved fixture on Ocean Avenue for 16 years, will permanently close its doors on January 2026.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Blue Plate Oysterette, a beloved fixture on Ocean Avenue for 16 years, will permanently close its doors in January 2026, owner Jennifer Rush announced.

Rush cited a combination of California’s business regulations, escalating operational costs, safety issues and nearby homelessness as factors forcing the shutdown — challenges she said have also shuttered other small businesses in the area.

The restaurant, known for coastal California seafood and ocean views, has been a go-to spot for celebrations.

"This is where you come to celebrate a graduation. It’s where you come to celebrate a birthday. It’s a real special spot," customer Jason Romaine said.

Rush pointed to state and local laws she believes favor employees over business owners, along with daily encounters with mental illness and open drug use near the restaurant.

"We see mentally ill people wandering the streets on a daily basis, screaming at people," Rush said. "We go to the park across the street and it’s illegal to have a glass of wine, yet people are sitting there doing drugs — and nothing seems to happen."

She described incidents including a homeless individual slashing the restaurant’s patio screens with a knife, break-ins, and a propane tank thrown at the front window.

"We’ve had break-ins. We had a guy throwing a propane tank at our front window. Our staff doesn’t feel safe, and tourists see that and don’t want to come back," Rush said.

Customers echoed concerns about declining safety and foot traffic.

"I worked on the Promenade back in the day and it was booming. Those restaurants have closed," customer Jeanette Yoffe said. "The reason why there’s not foot traffic here is because there’s a lot of homeless here. There’s been a lot of crime and people don’t feel safe."

Romaine, a longtime California resident, compared parts of the state to a "third world country," citing a shrinking middle class and pervasive caution.

"Even I will not wear my AirPods during the day here. You’ve got to watch yourself. You’ve got to be ready," he said.

Rush called for increased police presence and a relocation of public resource programs — such as needle exchanges and food distribution — away from downtown areas.

"We need more of a police presence," she said. "And not offering so many resources that are out in the public... That should be separated out and kept away from the downtown area."

Rush operates two other restaurants in Santa Monica and hopes to keep them open, but said conditions must improve. Blue Plate Oysterette is scheduled to close January 4, 2026.