Malibu’s Burgers, at 326 23rd St. in Uptown Oakland, is shutting down after Saturday, June 6. Owner Darren Preston announced the closure in an Instagram post last week.
“I wish I could say it was a hard decision, but it was actually pretty easy,” Preston told the Chronicle.
Lourdes “Lulu” Marquez-Nau, Preston’s mother and Malibu’s Burgers chef, said operating a vegan restaurant can be a struggle in the Bay Area with an expensive plant-based inventory amid inconsistent sales. Casa Borinqueña, her vegan Puerto Rican restaurant, was one of the multiple Saluhall concepts to close last year.
“Vegan restaurants are closing left and right,” Marquez-Nau said. Preston “did everything possible to try to stay open. It’s just not in the cards.”
Preston added meat and cheese to the menu in January, hoping to boost sales. It was not enough to rejuvenate the business, he said, but for Malibu’s final days, the restaurant has reverted back to its original vegan menu. Saturday night’s service will wrap up with a comedy show by vegan comedian Steven Marcus Releford.
Preston opened the first Malibu’s Burgers in December 2020 after a number of years as a successful food truck. Former Chronicle critic Soleil Ho hailed its Tasha Grande plant-based burger, modeled on a Big Mac, as having the “ample greasiness of an animal-based product.”
Preston said that he’s exploring opportunities that may allow him to resurrect at least some menu items from Malibu’s. For now, he hopes to spend his break with his two small children — who are the primary reason he’s stepping away, he said.
“I had a moment with my daughter that made me realize that the business is really affecting me,” Preston said.
Two weeks ago, Preston said, he missed an important moment with his daughter, who he said has autism and is nonverbal. While dealing with paperwork, his daughter repeatedly brought him bread and different toppings, such as peanut butter, cheese and mayo. It wasn’t until later that night that he realized his daughter was attempting to communicate with him.
“I was so distracted, I couldn’t see,” Preston said. “That was the moment that I realized that I missed an opportunity.”