The former site of Chadney’s restaurant sat vacant across from “The Tonight Show” studios in Burbank for more than a decade after closing in 1998 when the roof literally caved in. Now, it appears its long-awaited replacement, a Mexican restaurant decorated with a luchador motif of masked wrestlers, may have shut down after a year in business. Casa Cabo Bar & Grill, which served regional cuisine and had live entertainment, closed its doors in January after an expensive $1 million remodel of the building and outfitting of the interior space – and there are no signs it’s reopening. The restaurant’s Facebook page was last updated on Dec. 17 with the announcement of a comedy night benefiting Toys for Tots. And a sign on the front door states it will be closed for the month of January for renovations. However, no work appeared to be going on last week. Calls to the restaurant, founded by brothers Gabriel and Nestor Rocha, were not answered and emails to landlord Jackbilt Inc. of Burbank were not returned. If the restaurant does not open, at least some of the blame can be attributed to bad luck. Chadney’s had a good business serving “The Tonight Show” staff and audience, as well as KNBC-TV (Channel 4), which were both across the street. But Jay Leno’s show left for New York early this year with the takeover of host Jimmy Fallon, and KNBC moved to a new set at Universal Studios in February. However, one area real estate broker thinks that the 3000 W. Olive Ave. site has real potential give the nearby media firms. “The daytime work numbers are still impressive. There will be a lot of interest from restaurant operators,” said Todd Nathanson, president of illi Commercial Real Estate in Encino. – Rosie Downey
One Long Vacation for Casa Cabo
