In every city, every year, new businesses pop up while others disappear. Long Beach is no different. Over the past year, dozens of new companies, restaurants and shops opened their doors. Others, including longtime and beloved staples of the community, didn’t survive the year.
From a bankruptcy that made national news to a couple of restaurants that we personally held dear, here are the business closings that had the biggest impact this year.
American Airlines
Long Beach Airport started off the year with an announcement that American Airlines would discontinue all service out of the municipal airfield. The announcement was made in January and service ceased in February, making American the second airline to pull out of Long Beach in just over two years, following JetBlue’s departure in October 2020. The move allowed Southwest to further solidify itself as the leading carrier in Long Beach, holding 50 — or 86% — of the 58 daily flight slots.
Beachwood Brewing
It was truly a year of ups and downs for Beachwood Brewing, one of Long Beach’s oldest and most popular beer makers. While the company celebrated the opening of its outdoor taproom at 2ND & PCH, it also said goodbye to its flagship location on The Promenade in Downtown. The brewers repeatedly told city leaders the business was struggling with the impacts of homelessness, crime and construction mere feet from its storefront. The brewery temporarily closed its kitchen to save money, then subleased the kitchen to smash burger sensation Proudly Serving. Ultimately, though, the brewery closed at the end of October, having sold the space to ISM Brewing, a new concept from one of Beachwood’s original brewers.
Prospector
Haskell’s Prospector served up prime rib and fried chicken dinners as well as cold beers and cocktails for nearly six decades at the corner of Seventh and Junipero. But on May 28, the popular karaoke bar, restaurant and music venue served its last customers. Signal Hill-based Hilco Development Services planned to acquire the space, which included a single-family home, for about $3 million. The adaptive reuse project would see the building split into two storefronts to house a coffee shop and a restaurant. However, the status of the sale and future plans remain unclear.
Rascals Teriyaki Grill
Another iconic Long Beach staple, Rascals Teriyaki Grill, closed this year after serving East Long Beach residents for 17 years on Bellflower Boulevard near Cal State Long Beach. While other businesses folded due to ongoing challenges, the Rascals closure was just business: The Los Altos Family YMCA, which was Rascals’ neighbor and landlord, has decided to expand. To do so, it needed the land on which Rascals sat. The Y first started working on the plans four years ago, so the move was not a surprise to Rascals but still a loss for the community. If residents still get a hankering for Rascals, the restaurant opened another location in Carson.
Virgin Orbit
In January, Richard Branson’s small satellite launch company Virgin Orbit had a failed launch, which was not spectacular. But the rapidity of the company’s downfall following the failed launch was. On March 15, the company paused its operations, placing 750 employees on unpaid leave while it worked to secure funding. On March 30, the space company announced it would lay off 675 people, which was 85% of its workforce. On April 4, the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Less than one week later, the Nasdaq halted Virgin Orbit stock trading. By mid-May, the company had sold $36 million in assets at auction. One month later, another auction was held to unload more than 1,000 pieces of equipment — mostly office wares and small tools.