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For more than 11 years the small, unassuming restaurant Annie’s Cambodian Cuisine – located on 101 North (Fifth Street) between U and T Streets in Eureka – has been a favorite of locals, who flock there for the delicious grub and friendly service. Now this beloved business may be in trouble after plans were submitted to the City to demolish the Annie’s building to make way for a drive-through restaurant.

A Development Project Referral – sent to the Outpost earlier this week by Eureka City Manger Miles Slattery – includes development plans for the three adjoining parcels at 1906 Fourth Street, which holds a now-closed Subway Sandwiches, and 1905 Fifth Street, which holds Annie’s and a now closed Sizzler.

The project proposal – submitted by applicant Humboldt QOZ Fund, LLC on Feb. 14 – includes plans to demolish the three existing restaurant buildings and build a Starbucks, plus an as-yet-unnamed restaurant in their place. The two parcels holding Annie’s and Sizzler would be combined into one parcel and a 1,805 foot restaurant would be built on the site. A 1,000 square foot Starbucks would be built on the site that currently holds Subway. Both restaurants would include a parking lot and drive-through.

Reached by phone on Friday afternoon, Annie’s co-owner Laura Chau-Yang said she did not wish to comment at this time. But it did seem like any plans to demolish the building came as an unpleasant surprise to Chau-Yang.

It’s also not totally clear how long it will be before demolition or building would take place, but it will likely take a while. Slattery told the Outpost that the project referral was sent to the local regulatory agencies, which will have until March 1 to bring up any issues with the project. If there are no issues, the applicant will then need to submit all the necessary permits, including a demolition and building permit, and will need to submit building and design plans for approval before construction can begin.

Slattery did not know yet what the drive-through restaurant might be that would replace Annie’s. But he did say that the City would be more than willing to help the owners to find a new space, so that Annie’s Cambodian Cuisine can continue to serve the community.

View the Development Project Referral here.