Dining News

The Green Onion’s Uncertain Future

Hollander Group rendering of proposed development behind the 6th street city hall building. Courtesy of the Hollander Group

With new developments underway, what will become of San Pedro’s Staple Restaurants?

By Vera Magana, Reporter

Known for their food and hefty drinks, the Green Onion restaurant has been in operation since 1983 with two locations, one in San Pedro and the other in Moreno Valley. Being one of the first restaurants of the redevelopment era in the 1970s, Green Onion brought us a taste of authentic Sonoran-style Mexican food. Their chicken enchiladas are one of the locals’ and my personal favorites, as well as their generous pours on their very well-known double margaritas. But as our town continues to grow and expand, there have been several changes within the past two years and with new developments underway their existence has been threatened.

Saturday nights being their busiest, I walked in on a much quieter Monday afternoon and sipped on one of their delicious mango margaritas while Tony Avelar, a server at Green Onion who has worked there for five years and I discussed the recent news of them closing. He said to me, “I keep getting questions about when we are going to close, everyone is so sad so I just tell them within a year or two but up until now everything is still up in the air.”

Last August, Holland Partner Group got the green light to make way and now has concrete plans to build a second development that will demolish three existing buildings, including Green Onion. It will include the construction of a 334,950 square feet mixed-use building that will house 281 units and 2,316 square feet of commercial or restaurant space. The company has already developed Harbor Front on the block of Palos Verdes and 6th streets. It’s a seven-story building, which the company began planning back in 2020.

A representative of Holland Partners Group, the owner of the new development, said via email, “this project is still underway with Demolition and Construction slated to start in the third quarter of 2023. This starting time period will be after all leases of the current tenants have expired and have vacated the property. This will be in the Summer of 2023.”

But from local information the date of when their lease is over is still unknown and a mystery. With no official news from owner Bob Sanjabi, their employees are left guessing when exactly that day will be.

“Locals and employees have been speculating anywhere between one week to six months to two years,” said Tony Avelar. “With our best drinks and best margaritas, you can never go wrong with them here so I hope it isn’t soon.”

With employees who have worked there for almost 30 years, to regulars who have been coming here since they were little, to all of the longshoremen, and new tourists that get off their cruise ships, this restaurant has been and always will be a staple of our town. Whether they may or may not move across the street into the existing building is still a rumor but until then, we don’t know what the future holds for the Green Onion.