Quick Take
Known for its scenic patio overlooking the Watsonville airport runway, Ella’s at the Airport closed suddenly this week after 10 years in business. The restaurant was the site of romantic dinners, community fundraisers – and, more recently, a public protest against a pro-Trump viewing party.
Ella’s at the Airport has gone off the radar. On Wednesday, the brunch, lunch and dinner spot at the Watsonville Municipal Airport closed suddenly after 10 years in business under two owners.
A post Wednesday on Ella’s Facebook page didn’t give a precise reason for the closure. “Due to unexpected circumstances, we’ve made the difficult decision to close Ella’s at the Airport,” it said. “We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our incredible team, who showed up every day with dedication, hard work, and kindness.”
Lookout was unable to reach owner Chielo Apac by phone or email for more details.
Local restaurateur Ella King opened Ella’s at the Airport in 2015 as a sister restaurant to coffeeshop Café Ella in downtown Watsonville. In addition to its menu of organic salads, hearty pastas, paninis and pizzas, the space became well-known for its domed glass patio, which allowed diners to view planes as they took flight and landed at the airport.
The restaurant was the site of romantic dinners, live music, community fundraisers — and several controversies. In 2021, Airport Director Rayvon Williams blocked the sale of Ella’s to Apac, citing insufficient financial records, a lack of experience running a similar restaurant and an underwhelming business plan. Apac also owns Nancy’s Airport Cafe in Willows, near Chico, but Williams didn’t believe that she was an acceptable lease assignee.
King called Williams’ denial of Apac “an abuse of power,” and appealed the decision to the Watsonville City Council. In February 2022, the council approved King’s appeal in a narrow 4-3 decision. Apac took over King’s five-year lease and became the owner/operator of Ella’s. (In 2021, King sold Café Ella to Jennifer DeVault and Erika Conrad, who renamed it Strawberry Patch Café.)
This March, Ella’s at the Airport drew community ire for hosting a private watch party for President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. Local conservative group Santa Cruz County Patriots organized the event. While more than 100 Trump supporters gathered inside, dozens of individuals peacefully protested outside the restaurant, according to the Pajaronian. Ella’s at the Airport received a wave of negative comments on social media, and Yelp temporarily suspended comments due to negative reviews. Some community members who had previously been customers of Ella’s swore they would never return to the restaurant.
It’s unclear if the decision to host the watch party had a lasting effect on the business, but some commenters on social media blamed the event for the closure. Among the well wishes and fond memories of past meals on Facebook and Reddit were comments like, “That’s what you get for having a MAGA viewing party!”, “I work in Watsonville and it was on my lunch spot list. [I] would go [in the] evenings if work went long… Never again after the Trump viewing party,” and “They put their politics front and center and their stupidity sank them. Good!” Others mentioned a decline in food quality and service under Apac’s ownership.
Williams did not respond to a request for more information on the future of the location – a mainstay for pilots and community members alike for more than 50 years.
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FOR THE RECORD: This story has been updated to reflect that Ella’s at the Airport opened in 2015, not 2018 as previously reported.
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