A well-known Los Angeles seafood restaurant is getting ready to serve its final meals. Connie & Ted’s in West Hollywood will close on July 1 after 13 years in business.
The restaurant built a loyal following for its New England-style seafood and its connection to one of LA’s best-known chefs. Its shutdown is also the latest sign of how hard it has become to run a midpriced full-service restaurant in the city.
A longtime West Hollywood seafood destination is shutting down
Connie & Ted’s opened in 2013 at 8171 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood. It was created by chef Michael Cimarusti with partners Donato Poto and Crisi Echiverri, and quickly became one of the city’s best-known places for oysters, chowder, lobster rolls, and fried seafood.
The restaurant stood apart because it offered a more casual experience than Cimarusti’s Providence, the acclaimed fine-dining restaurant that earned three Michelin stars. Even with a more relaxed format, Connie & Ted’s still carried major culinary credibility through Cimarusti, who won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: West in 2019.
For many diners, the restaurant filled a specific niche in Los Angeles dining. It offered seafood that felt polished but approachable, giving guests a neighborhood place for a special meal without the formality or cost of a tasting-menu experience.
The concept was personal for chef Michael Cimarusti
Connie & Ted’s was named after Cimarusti’s grandparents, Constance and Edward Pointon. According to the restaurant’s backstory, the pair were English-born immigrants who married in 1940 and built a family life in Rhode Island centered around fishing.
That history shaped the menu and the atmosphere from the beginning. The restaurant leaned into classic East Coast clam shack and oyster bar influences, while focusing on seafood that was presented as sustainable and responsibly sourced.
That personal angle helped make the place memorable in a crowded restaurant market. It was not just another celebrity-chef opening. Diners connected with the idea that the food reflected family roots, regional traditions, and a chef’s effort to bring a Rhode Island seafood culture to Los Angeles.
Rising costs and changing habits have squeezed restaurants like this
The restaurant’s closure reflects broader pressures facing the hospitality business. Industry challenges have included rising labor costs, higher seafood prices, lingering damage from the pandemic years, and more cautious consumer spending.
Connie & Ted’s occupied a difficult middle ground. It was not fast casual, where lower prices can bring in frequent visits, and it was not ultra-luxury dining, where some customers still spend freely for major occasions.
That middle tier has become harder to sustain, especially in expensive markets like Los Angeles. Restaurants with chef-driven menus, full-service staffing, and high-quality ingredients often face steep operating costs while trying to keep prices within reach for regular neighborhood diners.
A farewell dinner is planned before the final closing date
Before closing, Connie & Ted’s plans to hold a final event called One Last Cast on Thursday, June 18, 2026. The farewell dinner will be led by Cimarusti and Executive Chef Sam Baxter, with seatings from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and tickets priced at $175 per guest.
The event is being framed as a tribute to “the fishermen, farmers, oyster growers, team members, longtime guests, and the greater Los Angeles community” that supported the restaurant over the years. That message underscores how much of the restaurant’s identity was tied to both its suppliers and its regular customers.
For West Hollywood, the July 1 closure marks the end of a restaurant that lasted far longer than many trendy openings do. For Los Angeles diners, it is another reminder that even established, high-profile restaurants can struggle as the economics of eating out continue to shift.
