Beach Pit BBQ closing in Laguna Niguel

The Beach Pit BBQ in Laguna Niguel has announced that it’s closing its doors after more than year.

“We are closing the Beach Pit BBQ Laguna Niguel because our concept didn’t work up there,” owner Tim DeCinces said in a statement. “We wanted to create more of an express type model in a smaller footprint that was just about the food. Unfortunately, when we first opened the food wasn’t that great and we had a hard time getting the process right.”

DeCinces said that the local arrival of Chipotle and Five Guys Burgers & Fries made it more difficult for the concept to be successful, and company has decided to leave the area.

Beach Pit BBQ is at 32371 Golden Lantern.

DeCinces said the site will now be home to a Nekter Juice Bar, which also has locations in Corona del Mar and Costa Mesa.

Nekter Juice Bar features juices, smoothies and acai bowls along with their own line of cleanse products. Their menu includes raw nut milk smoothies and vegan or gluten-free snacks.

DeCinces said he believes a health-oriented store with raw and vegan choices would do well in the area.

“It is a very good concept, and we think will be a great fit for the clientele of the Ocean Ranch shopping centers,” he said.

Nekter Juice Bar should be open in about two to three months, pending approvals, he said.

For more information, visit beachpit.com or nekterjuicebar.com.

joanna.clay@latimes.com

Twitter: @joannaclay