Truluck’s Boca restaurant is closed

Mizner Park lease negotiations failed

Truluck’s, an upscale seafood chain, closed its Boca Raton location at Mizner Park on April 30 after 11 years. This appears to be a case where slumping business was not to blame, but rather a lease impasse between Truluck’s, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and its Mizner Park landlord, Chicago-based General Growth Properties.

The ending was abrupt, with Truluck’s alerting customers and employees in late April that the restaurant would be closing. One former employee said the location was still successful, and that the landlord compelled Truluck’s to vacate the property by May 10. That meant the restaurant known for its popular Monday all-you-can-eat stone crab promotion could not stay open until the end of stone crab season (May 15), or even through Mother’s Day (May 13), one of the busiest restaurant days of the year.

“Truluck’s has been at Mizner Park since April 2007. Ultimately, they decided not to renew their lease and we are sorry to see them go,” Marissa Ellenby, a spokeswoman for General Growth Properties, wrote by email Monday. She said that she could not provide details about what will come next at the site.

Truluck’s posted a statement on its corporate Facebook page on April 27 that said, “Despite repeated efforts to negotiate a renewed lease agreement, we regretfully announce the closing of our Boca Raton location … Thank you to all of our loyal guests, business partners, community leaders and organizations for 11 wonderful years. We look forward to seeing you at our nearby [Fort] Lauderdale location.”

Truluck’s still operates South Florida locations at the Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale and on Brickell Avenue in Miami. The company has 11 restaurants in four states. Customers lamented the swift demise of the Boca Raton site.

“So sorry you have to close,” Donna Marie Dowling wrote on Facebook. “I sent so many people to your wonderful restaurant. The music, ambience, food and employees [were] all very special.”

Bobby Weinstein wrote, “A great company that has forged my hospitality career to another level. Sad to see my crab buddies go. I wish the entire staff a smooth transition in finding positions someplace else.”

Kristina Veiga wrote, “Hope you rebuild one in Boca Raton like the ones in Austin and Dallas. Show Mizner Park what they will miss.”