By Kevin Boudreau
Staff Writer
The new owners at the Malibu Inn hope to remain popular among Pepperdine partiers while also catering to families.
The Inn has undergone a series of cosmetic surgeries to enhance its opportunities for better food and beverage service. Nurit Mitchell, who owns the Inn with her husband Stuart, said they hope the $250,000 spent on the concert stage, seven flat screen TVs, state-of-the-art public address system, outdoor patio furniture and energetic staff will revitalize the Malibu Inn.
The new owners paid $1.5 million for the property according to Ty Lacey, a training manager of the Malibu Inn. Students, however, have had mixed reactions to the changes.
The Stuarts said the Inn has changed from a bar and beef bungalow to a family-oriented, high quality eatery while retaining its base audience of locals, students and tourists. The couple are well-established figures of the Malibu community due to their prior and current ownerships of Calabasas and Malibu property including the plaza in which Johnnie’s Pizza and Thai Dishes are located.
Sophomore John Robinson noticed the Inn’s changes immediately.
“The Inn is now a family scene,” he said. “It was a place where Pepperdine could go and get a beer.”
The Inn encourages beachgoers to wipe off the sand from their feet, walk in, and sit-down for a BBQ sandwich. With the gates of the Malibu Pier soon to be removed, the Mitchells anticipate a new source of customers.
The Inn has put a breakfast bar and Sunday brunch at the top of the new improvement list. They also offer a happy hour with drink specials and free BBQ sandwiches. Also, Tuesday nights will feature hip hop music on the new sound system.
The change in atmosphere of the Inn is dramatic and easily noticed to the veteran patrons from Pepperdine. Many said the metamorphosis from a college bar dedicated to student debaucheries to a family barbeque where a Shirley Temple may more often be appropriate than a gin and tonic is dramatic.
The owners said the Inn will change its bouncers. While many patrons noticed that the previous gatekeepers had a Stevie Wonder-like ability to spot fake ID’s, the new bouncers will have more rigid standards.
For some students the habitual hangout the Inn once was will be missed along with its staff.
“The former management was psychotic, but cool,” junior Shelby Washington said.
Such familiarity brought many repeat customers despite the sullied surroundings.
Other renovating enthusiasts think it was time for a change. “The dirty, unprofessional atmosphere offered nothing for the class of Malibu,” sophomore France Denk said of the former quality of the Inn. The former Inn along with its management closed its doors to the public Nov. 12 after its property had been sold.
The Malibu Inn has been at its current location for more than 83 years. Its history and services vary with every changing owner. The current owners said the new Inn’s bold, golden yellow signifies its return to its golden age of yesteryear. Some years ago, the Inn had the Midas touch, gleaming with gold. It was a beacon of restaurant excellence, and a moment of this supremacy is captured in a photo on display in the Sage Room. This photograph seemingly motivates its new owners to return to this distinction on the renowned Pacific Coast Highway.
With improvements and renovations as well as the diverse menu and entertainment features, students said they noticed the Malibu Inn finally provides the community with superior quality one would expect from a Malibu establishment.
January 16, 2003
