Landmark Restaurant Cancels Plan to Close

Like a shot of hot sauce, an outpouring of passionate public sentiment has brought new life to Johnny’s Mexican Food, the 33-year-old restaurant set to serve its last burrito on Friday.

With calls coming in from as far away as Virginia, Johnny Lopez and his family have changed their minds and plan to keep open the hole-in-the-wall eatery that has become a Ventura landmark.

“You know, after you get all the response that we did from people in the community, we realize that we are not just making burritos,” said restaurant manager Tina Kraft, who is Lopez’s daughter. “In fact we are making a difference in the community.”

With Lopez ailing and the restaurant in need of repairs, his family had decided to abandon the Ventura Avenue business. So they posted an announcement at the restaurant counter saying Johnny’s would close at the year’s end.

“We had people calling from San Diego, San Luis Obispo and even from Virginia asking that we don’t close,” Kraft said Friday. “They were really saddened to see the restaurant close. It was an incredible outpouring of love for my father.”

Four former employees came in and offered to work for free so that the restaurant could remain open.

After the calls and support they received from faithful customers in the past few days, Kraft and her family had an “emotional meeting” Thursday night with her 83-year-old father.

Lopez, who is seriously ill, asked the family to keep the restaurant open. Kraft said she will continue managing the eatery on Ventura Avenue as she has been for the past 14 years.

Customers lined up at Johnny’s Friday, thrilled to see a sign posted stating that the plans to close have been canceled.

“I’m so excited that they changed their minds,” said Jody Brown, a 15-year customer who works at Patagonia. “I’ve got to rush to work to tell everyone the good news. We had a big sign in our office saying that they were going to close.”

Lloyd Davis, 67, a Johnny’s customer for 30 years, said he and his family are celebrating the restaurant’s future by having Johnny’s burritos for Christmas Eve.

“I’m so happy that they are staying open,” Davis said. “Ventura Avenue would not be the same without Johnny’s.”

Kraft said the restaurant will be closed between Friday and Jan. 10 for repairs to the building.

“After the renovations,” Kraft said, “I plan to work here for another 33 years.”