Quick Take
Jeffery's, the nearly 50-year-old diner at Capitola Road and Soquel Avenue, abruptly closed Jan. 28, leaving longtime customers searching for answers. A staff member suggested the restaurant has been sold and will reopen. The owner declined to comment. Public records say nothing about a sale.
A long-standing Santa Cruz diner suddenly went dark at the end of January, leaving few clues about why it shut its doors, and whether it will reopen.
Jeffery’s, an all-day restaurant that has stood at the corner of Capitola Road and Soquel Avenue for nearly five decades, closed Jan. 28.
Within days, several longtime patrons shared their concerns about the beloved neighborhood spot on social media, earning dozens of comments from other Jeffery’s customers. In a post on Nextdoor on Jan. 31, Alina Willis, who identified herself as a staff member, addressed the community and insinuated that the restaurant had sold but will reopen.
“To all our loving and loyal community, we thank you for the decades of support and friendship. We hope you will continue to support us during this period of transition. We have not yet confirmed our reopening date,” the post said.
Willis did not respond to a direct message asking for more information. In a comment on the post, she said, “For those of us who have worked there 20, 30 and 40+ years, it’s not just a job for us. It’s our home away from home, we love all of you, and can’t wait till we’re all back together.”
Jeffery’s is typically open daily from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. offering a range of classic American fare from Monte Cristo sandwiches to chicken liver and onions since 1978. According to a 2010 article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the restaurant originally opened in 1978 as a Golden West Pancake House. In 1985, owner Jeffery Walsh and his father purchased the diner and renamed it Jeffery’s after remodeling it in 1992.
In a brief phone call on Friday, Walsh told Lookout that he wasn’t comfortable discussing the status of the restaurant, and wouldn’t share why it was closed, if it had been sold or when it would reopen.
Last week, a construction worker at Jeffery’s told Lookout that the owner was renovating the restaurant, a process that was easier to do if the restaurant was closed. When asked who the owner is, the worker confirmed it’s Walsh — “the same person it’s been forever,” he said.
Lookout couldn’t find public information about a sale of the restaurant, although a listing on real estate website BizBuySell matches the description of Jeffery’s. However, listing agent Rex Walters would not confirm whether the listing is for the space at 2050 Soquel Ave. without the owner’s permission.
Customers online shared how they kept coming back to Jeffery’s over the years, even generations, because of the affordable prices and the friendly staff, some of whom had worked there for decades. Regulars hope that remains unchanged when it reopens.
“I love Jeffery’s and can’t wait to see the staff again, they’re so special, [and] the food is so consistently good,” commented Debbie Hagerman on a post on Nextdoor. “I hope things remain as wonderful as they always have been.”
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