Watson’s, a century-old soda fountain in the city of Orange once visited by President George W. Bush, will soon close its doors.
Watson’s Soda Fountain & Cafe will shut its doors at 116 East Chapman Avenue, the Orange County Register reported. Another restaurant, Hectors on the Circle, is expected to take its place.
First opened in 1899 as a drugstore, it switched to serving malts and burgers in 1915. Watson’s has been featured in such movies as the Tom Hanks film “That Thing You Do!” Over the decades, it has drawn such notable patrons as Bush, who popped in for a malt.
Owner Billy Skeffington, citing the rising cost of rent and doing business, said Watson’s will close in the next two weeks. He’s looking at new locations in the city’s Old Towne, bringing in Orange real estate agent Al Ricci to help him find a spot.
When Skeffington bought the place in 2015 from longtime owner Scott Parker, he remodeled it. The more modern, upscale take on the diner theme that Skeffington built ushered in new foods and drinks. He obtained an expanded liquor license to offer specialty cocktails and dessert beverages.
But even with a swanky new menu and updated interior, the business couldn’t keep up with escalating operating costs.
When Parker sold Watson’s to Skeffington, he was already struggling to pay the $14,000 monthly rent, on top of the business’ other expenses, Parker said.
“When I left, I was so glad to get out of there because I just couldn’t do it,” Parker told the Register. “And I had been there for 50 years.”
Parker blamed the dwindling numbers of small shops, restaurants and antique stores in the area to the soaring costs of commercial rents. When new restaurants come in and raise the competition for space, he said small businesses get priced out.
Orange Councilwoman Arianna Barrios, who represents the district that includes Old Towne Orange, thinks more needs to be done to preserve the historic district.
“We are the protectors of such things,” she said, calling the historic center “one of the jewels in the United States in terms of public places.”
“We have a mandate to protect that,” Barrios said. “So we can put stipulations on the businesses coming into this area. It is historic. There is a certain character that we need to preserve.”
– Dana Bartholomew
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