The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filing lists Red O La Jolla, LLC as initiating a permanent closure affecting 91 employees at 4340 La Jolla Village Drive in the UTC area. The notice was filed February 16, 2026, with an effective closure date of April 20, 2026. The restaurant falls under the Accommodation and Food Services sector.
Red O opened in La Jolla in May 2017 after more than two years of construction delays and anticipation. The 9,000-square-foot restaurant replaced Donovan’s Steakhouse across from Westfield UTC and was envisioned as a sprawling, resort-style Mexican dining destination complete with multiple patios, fire pits, a towering bar stocked with more than 200 tequilas, and a dramatic chandelier-crowned dining room anchored by a central tree.
Bayless, a James Beard Award-winning chef best known for his Chicago restaurants Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and Xoco, served as culinary director for Red O. Though based in Chicago, Bayless consulted on menu development and lent signature dishes and regional Mexican influences to the concept, while day-to-day kitchen operations in La Jolla were led by executive chefs and corporate culinary staff.
Red O first launched in Los Angeles in 2010 and quickly expanded across Southern California, with locations in Newport Beach, Santa Monica, and later La Jolla. The brand positioned itself as a high-end, design-forward interpretation of regional Mexican cuisine, combining Baja-inspired seafood, moles, ceviches, prime steaks, and a polished cocktail program in architecturally striking spaces.
Bayless’ association with Red O generated immediate buzz in San Diego when the project was first announced. A longtime television personality and host of the PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time, Bayless has built a national reputation as one of America’s foremost interpreters of regional Mexican cuisine. However, his prominence has not come without controversy.
Over the years, Bayless has faced criticism from some Mexican and Mexican-American writers and chefs who question the broader dynamics of cultural representation in American dining. Critics have argued that white chefs often receive disproportionate media attention and investment when cooking cuisines rooted in immigrant communities that historically lacked the same access to capital and publicity. In 2010, comments Bayless made suggesting he would bring the “true flavors of Mexico” to Los Angeles sparked pushback from food writers who viewed the framing as dismissive of Southern California’s deeply established Mexican food culture.
In a 2016 NPR interview addressing accusations of cultural appropriation, Bayless rejected the idea that he should not cook Mexican cuisine because of his race, stating that criticism based solely on his being white amounted to racism. Supporters have long defended Bayless, citing his decades of travel throughout Mexico, fluency in Spanish, deep study of regional traditions, and consistent public advocacy for Mexican culinary heritage.
The debate surrounding Bayless mirrors a broader, ongoing national conversation about who gets to serve as ambassador of a cuisine and who benefits financially and culturally from that position. Regardless of perspective, Bayless remains one of the most commercially successful chefs working in Mexican food in the United States.
When Red O finally opened in La Jolla in 2017, it was described as one of the area’s most ambitious upscale Mexican dining projects, featuring influences from Oaxaca, Puebla, Yucatán, and Baja California. The restaurant was positioned as both a lunch destination for nearby office campuses and a late-night cocktail and happy hour hub.
Over time, however, the initial buzz faded. While Red O maintained operations in La Jolla for nearly a decade, the broader Southern California restaurant market has shifted significantly since its debut. High-end mall-adjacent dining concepts have faced mounting pressures from rising labor costs, evolving consumer habits, post-pandemic traffic patterns, and increased competition from chef-driven neighborhood restaurants.
The WARN notice confirms that the La Jolla closure is permanent, impacting 91 employees. As of publication, Red O’s website still lists other operating locations in Newport Beach, Santa Monica, and Westlake Village. It is not yet clear what will replace the large-format restaurant space at The Plaza in UTC, a high-profile Irvine Company development.
Red O La Jolla is scheduled to permanently close April 20, 2026, at 4340 La Jolla Village Drive in San Diego's University City area. For more information, visit redorestaurant.com.
Originally published on February 20, 2026.