Downtown Palm Springs restaurant Wang’s in the Desert does plan to reopen, owner says
Editor's note: The headline and content of this report were updated on November 15 to include a new response from the restaurant owner.
Owner of Wang's in the Desert Lonnie Landers tells News Channel 3 the restaurant does plan to reopen, in contradiction to several social media posts on the restaurant's Facebook page that it "will not be reopening." Landers calls reports of the closure “absolutely not true… absolutely false.”
Wang's in the Desert in downtown Palm Springs had announced on Facebook over the weekend that it was closings its doors permanently. "The owner and management regret that Wang's in the Desert will not be reopening." the post read.
Landers said Wednesday, “I have a new investor, partner, essentially buyer, buying the whole thing out,” and that they are preparing to reopen Wang's in the Desert with a “new format… it’s going to have a lot of the old but a lot of new stuff as well.”
He said they are looking at early December for a soft opening and a full opening by the end of the year.
The popular restaurant has been closed since Sept. 1. Posts relayed the news on Sunday that the business would not be reopening.
The Wang's social media account replied to a comment on the closure which asked "Why?" by writing "...economy, Covid, financial situation, lease, community malaise..."
On August 21, nearly two weeks before its official closure, a post on Facebook read that the restaurant sustained damage from excessive weather.
"... there was flash flooding and downpours in Palm Springs in August. The roof caved in from so much water and the water intrusion was bad," reads a Facebook comment by Wangs in the Desert.
We've reached out to the City of Palm Springs for more information on the damage to the building.
The post was made the day after Tropical Storm Hilary hit the Coachella Valley, bringing record-breaking rain to the desert. There was no word on whether the damage was directly from this storm or additional weather events.
Wang's in the Desert was once a popular destination for dining and events, like live music and drag brunches. The building itself was first opened in the 1960s under the name Jilly's. Jilly's was a go-to spot for Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. It was owned by Sinatra's right-hand man Jilly Rizzo.
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