California roadside icon, closed for years, to be demolished

Key Points:

• Pea Soup Andersen’s, a historic California roadside restaurant near Buellton, closed unexpectedly in January 2024 after struggling post-COVID and is now slated for demolition due to safety concerns and vandalism.
• The Buellton City Council unanimously voted to remove the restaurant’s local historical landmark status, allowing demolition while aiming to preserve key historic elements like signs, artwork, and stained glass windows.
• The oldest building on the property, the 1920s Bueltmore Hotel, will be preserved, while newer structures, including the restaurant, are considered less historically significant and set for removal.
• The city hopes demolition will reduce trespassing and vandalism risks, but no demolition timeline has been set as they negotiate details with property owner Ed St. George.
• St. George initially planned a mixed-use development on the site but has not finalized future plans, leaving the property in a holding pattern.