A roadside restaurant that has welcomed Central Coast residents and travelers on California's 101 Freeway for about a century is temporarily closed.
A green sign posted in the window of the entrance to the beloved Pea Soup Andersen's restaurant in Buellton, about 130 miles west of Los Angeles, indicated the diner was temporarily closed for redevelopment. In a statement to KSBY-TV, representatives with Milt Guggia Enterprises Inc., the current owners of Pea Soup Andersen's, said, "The restaurant is temporarily closed for redevelopment. That is all the information we have at this time."
Central Coast restaurateur Milt Guggia bought Pea Soup Andersen's Buellton in 1999 and Pea Soup Andersen's Santa Nella in 2007.
The restaurant opened in 1924. Anton and Juliette Andersen bought a parcel of land and building to open the restaurant after the highway was diverted through Buellton and electricity was brought to the Santa Ynez Valley. The restaurant opened as Andersen's Electric Cafe after their new electric stove before changing its name due to the popularity of it signature split-pea soup.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Details about the redevelopment plan were not immediately available. The restaurant includes a large main dining area, bakery and gift shop.
The Pea Soup Andersen's restaurant in Santa Nella, located off the 5 Freeway southwest of San Jose, remains open.
Pea Soup Andersen's Inn in Buellton remains open. The inn is independently owned and operated.
