Owner, locals react to iconic Babe’s Bar-B-Que & Brewery’s relocation to Indio

As News Channel Three reported yesterday, Babe's Bar-B-Que & Brewery will be closing its location at the River in Rancho Mirage at the end of August.

The iconic restaurant will relocate to the Canopy at Citrus, a shopping center currently being developed in Indio, after 22 years at the River.

"When Babe’s opened 20 years ago, everything was so much cheaper. You know, ... utilities were cheaper, payroll was cheaper. Everything was just you know, ... it was able to work," says Lucky Callender, the owner of Babe's.

Callender cites these rising costs as one of the main reasons the restaurant is headed to Indio. Their current space at the River is 12,000 square feet. He says maintaining a restaurant of that size – especially trying to cool it down during the hot summer months – cuts into the money the restaurant makes.

"Our revenues were strong at The River, you know, like, we did good business. It's just – if you do high revenues, you should see the profit. And the problem was: we weren't seeing enough profit to make sense. And, you know, how can we retain that profit? You know, obviously it's going to a smaller space."

Babe's new home will be roughly 3,200 square feet – a quarter of the size of their current restaurant – which Callender says will help bring their operating costs down.

The new restaurant will feature a brighter, more modern interior and a cleaned-up menu. "It's going to be familiar, but updated," Callender reassures.

He hopes that once Babe's closes at the end of this month, the Indio location will be ready to serve customers by January 2025.

The River released a press release today in response to Babe's departure, which looked to the future of the center:

"The River at Rancho Mirage extends its heartfelt thanks to Babe’s BBQ and Brewery for their

decades of service to the community.

The River has been undergoing significant growth and transformation over the past two years, shifting

from a traditional shopping center to a vibrant entertainment destination that offers a unique blend of

recreation, dining experiences, along with retail. The recent additions of renowned businesses such as

Dave & Buster’s, REI, Slinging 360, and Cowboy Cantina reflect this evolution, which continues

positioning The River as a premier destination in the Coachella Valley."

The full press release is available below.