Duke's Malibu, the iconic waterfront restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway, will reopen Friday after a 14-month closure due to landslide damage.
The popular coastal restaurant, which this year celebrates 30 years in business, weathered the Palisades Fire that devastated Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Topanga Canyon more than a year ago, suffering only smoke damage. Plans to reopen were underway last February when landslides triggered by heavy rain sent four feet of mud into the restaurant, requiring extensive repairs, cleaning and a complete renovation.
“The mud almost wiped us out,” general manager Jimmy Chavez said.
of the duke planned to reopen last summer, but construction delays further delayed the restaurant, pushing the opening date to early 2026.
The restaurant had to tear down its walls to ensure mold didn't grow and was forced to replace its equipment, furniture, plumbing and flooring.
“The circumstances were not ideal, but we ended up with a completely renovated restaurant that was 30 years old, 30 years old, which is unheard of,” Chavez said.
Chavez said the building's proximity to the water caused unforeseen delays in construction.
“Waves hit our building at high tide. And when you go to repair something, you often need to repair three things,” he said.
The newly renovated restaurant will reopen Friday with a limited all-day lunch and dinner menu, featuring customer favorites like crispy coconut shrimp and Korean sticky ribs, along with other coastal dishes including poke tacos and a seared ahi tuna bowl. The signature Hula Cake, with macadamia nut ice cream topped with a chocolate outer crust and drizzled with fudge, will return to the dessert menu.
The renovated dining room at Duke's Malibu.
(Duke's Malibu)
Chavez said Duke's hours will also be reduced as the restaurant gauges customer demand; Taco and brunch service on Tuesday will be suspended until it can operate at full capacity.
Thirty of the 126 employees who were laid off during the restaurant's extended closure will return for Friday's reopening, including chef Calvin Holladay, members of the management team, and front-of-house and back-of-house staff. The restaurant also hired 15 to 20 additional people, with plans to increase staffing depending on traffic.
Equally iconic restaurants along PCH were damaged or destroyed in the Palisades fire, including Gladstones, which closed for six months and reopened its outdoor dining room last summer. Many are still in the process of rebuilding and even reopened restaurants have been slow to do so. regain balance, with new challenges such as decreased profits due to PCH being shut down for months and ongoing construction. Lily Castro, owner of Lily's restaurant in Malibu, said she saw business drop by up to 50% after the fires.
Owned by TS Restaurants, Duke's opened on Kauai in 1989 as 'Da Original' Duke's, named after surfing legend and five-time Olympic medalist Duke Kahanamoku. Duke's opened a Malibu location in 1996, honoring Kahanamoku's efforts to popularize surfing in Southern California. Duke's subsequently opened two additional locations in Southern California; one in Huntington Beach in 1998 and another in La Jolla in 2015.
The Malibu outpost has become an iconic tourist attraction and essential neighborhood stalwart, with a glass-walled dining room located directly on the shore.
As the restaurant celebrates 30 years, Chavez said they plan to host an anniversary party this summer.
“I think overall it's been worth it, it's really special to get to where we are now and feel so good about the building,” Chavez said. “It's obviously going to be a long time before Malibu feels like it used to… but yeah, it feels really positive.”
Duke's reopening night will mark the return of its weekly Aloha Fridays event, featuring live music and discounted drinks.
Duke's Malibu and its Barefoot Bar will reopen this Friday. Normal business hours are Thursday to Sunday. from noon to 8 p.m. 21150 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, (310) 317-0777, dukesmalibu.com
