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Neighboring Old Town businesses Five Eleven bar and restaurant and the Pearl Lounge abruptly went out of business Tuesday, according to announcements taped to the windows and messages on their voicemails.

“We want to thank you for all of the support over the years,” the message in the windows reads. “We’re going to miss seeing everyone and are so grateful for all the memories we have, and the friendships we have made along this journey. Thank You Again.”

The Pearl, a craft cocktail bar and late night entertainment venue, was opened more than 20 years ago by Alex Moore, who remains the registered owner. The property, built in 1872 as the Crystal Palace salon, was put on the market more than a year and a half ago. It remains for sale, with an asking price of $1.25 million.

Moore opened Restaurant Five Eleven (often styled simply “511”) in 2012, taking over a restaurant space that was previously occupied by Hurricane Kate’s. The restaurant offered a wide array of upscale menu items, and the attached bar served wine and cocktails. Former chef Josh Wiley developed a loyal following, though he left the restaurant sometime in the past year or so.

Moore and his wife Miranda own Honeydew Farms, which became Humboldt County’s first permitted cannabis cultivation operation in 2016. Its seven-acre size was considered large at the time — by local standards, anyway. But as the industry has gone full industrial scale, with some farms measuring more than a million square feet, both the local weed industry and the larger economy have suffered.

The Moores bought the the 788-acre Lost Coast Ocean Ranch in 2020. (If you’ve driven the Wildcat to Petrolia, it’s the property with the zebras.) Last year, they put it on the market for around $11 million. It remains unsold, and the asking price has been dropped to $9,950,000, according to an online listing.

Fans of 511 and the Pearl expressed surprise and sadness about the sudden closures on social media. 

“Oh no 511 is the perfect restaurant,” one Facebook commenter wrote.

“This is a great loss for old town and our community,” observed another.

An email sent to Moore this morning had not yet gotten a reply at the time this post was published.