NYT-approved Big Sky Cafe in San Luis Obispo closes for good

Big Sky Cafe, a New York Times–featured restaurant in downtown San Luis Obispo, closed permanently after service on Oct. 8. A sign posted on the front door alerted patrons of the news. The restaurant, which fed tourists, locals and college students alike, was nearly 30 years old, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

“To our beloved customers, it is with a heavy heart that we have made the difficult decision to close our beloved restaurant, Big Sky Cafe,” read the sign. “… We want to thank all of our wonderful guests and employees for supporting us over these past years. We could not have done it without you.”

Big Sky Cafe was known for farm-to-table fare and depended heavily on local produce growers to fulfill its “real food by real people” mantra. Opened in 1994, the restaurant served breakfast food like the Devil’s Mess — scrambled eggs with roasted mushrooms, onions, local spinach, red chiles and spicy andouille sausage — as well as a Hawaii-inspired huli huli chicken and a Reuben-esque sandwich made with beets.

For the past eight years, the restaurant has been operated by Greg and Mirjam Holt. They bought the business from the founding owner Charles Myers in 2015, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Holt was the longtime head chef before purchasing the restaurant from Myers, the publication noted.

SFGATE reached out to Holt for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

“Big Sky closing is pretty sad, and there are some other places that have closed,” Claire Waller told SFGATE outside the shuttered downtown eatery. “And I don’t know if they were getting enough business or if, like, the rent is rising, and it’s too high — or a combination of both. It’s sad.”

SFGATE Central Coast editor Andrew Pridgen contributed to this article.