Acqua California Bistro at The River at Rancho Mirage closes

Acqua California Bistro at The River at Rancho Mirage has closed, according to a note taped to the door Wednesday morning.

The eatery, with a large outdoor dining area along the edge of the shopping center’s landmark water feature, has been owned by local restaurateur Jerry Keller since 2017.

The closure was announced on the restaurant’s website and with a note on the door to customers: “We are thankful for the loyal guests who dined with us during the time we were at The River. Acqua California Bistro has ended operations at this location.”

No explanation for the closure was given and Keller, who also owns Lulu California Bistro in Palm Springs, declined to comment. Lulu California Bistro remains open.

The announcement was made on Acqua California Bistro’s Instagram page Tuesday, though that account was closed later in the day. The announcement was also posted on the restaurant’s website Tuesday, but removed from the page by Wednesday morning.

Restaurant furnishings were being taken out of the building and loaded on a truck Wednesday morning.

The general manager of the restaurant would only say the last night of operation was Sunday.

The closure comes about a year after Acqua California Bistro reopened after being closed for 16 months due to the pandemic.

The hospitality industry has been especially slow coming back from the pandemic, with restaurants and hotels struggling with staffing issues and rising costs for food.

Before the pandemic, Acqua and Lulu California Bistro employed hundreds of workers.

When he reopened the Rancho Mirage restaurant in June 2020, Keller told The Desert Sun it was slow getting many back to work.

Many of his employees were working two jobs before the pandemic, Keller said, and he understood that they weren’t all in a hurry to get back to work after being furloughed or laid off for several months or longer.

Some had been doing that for decades, he said, saying he understood the reluctance to get back to work.

“Sure, it’s been difficult for everybody and it’s been difficult for us to get people back, but it has a nice side for a lot of very hardworking people, who for the very first time in many, many years could actually take a vacation,” Keller said.

Keller opened Acqua California Bistro in the same location where he, his late wife, Barbara Keller, and two partners had operated Acqua Pazza California Bistro for 10 years, closing the restaurant when the lease ran out.

The Kellers returned to The River, opening Acqua California Bistro in 2017. Barbara Keller, who devoted much of her time to helping nonprofit organizations in the valley, died in April 2019.

Desert Sun reporter Sherry Barkas covers the cities of La Quinta, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert. She can be reached at sherry.barkas@thedesertsun.com. Follow her on Twitter @TDSsherryBarkas

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Acqua California Bistro restaurant in Rancho Mirage closes