2 Pleasanton Hotel Restaurants Close, Proud Owner Offers Praise

PLEASANTON, CA — Two restaurants inside downtown's Pleasanton Hotel shuttered this week, despite attempts to keep them going. The Clubhouse and Lily's Spirited Dining closed less than a year after opening at the historic Main Street location.

"With a very heavy heart, we announce the closing of this chapter in the glorious history of the Pleasanton Hotel, a sign on the door read. "We love our downtown, our city and our community, and are saddened by our departure. We certainly hope the Grand Lady will come back to life once more with all the grace and grandeur she possesses. We truly appreciated being a part of her history. Thank you for your support."

Ed Westmoreland opened the eateries last fall in the hotel's first floor at 855 Main St., but there simply wasn't enough business to keep them going.

"I love being a part of the community," said Westmoreland, who also owns Eddie Papa's restaurant on Hopyard Road. He explained that the closing was strictly business. "We were not generating enough revenue to pay the bills."

Westmoreland pointed Patch to his Facebook page, where he articulated his feelings in several posts. In one he wrote Tuesday, he said, "I love Pleasanton, I love our downtown, and I love our community. Thank you very much for the outpouring of support over the past 24 hours."

Westmoreland and his family — along with 16 other Pleasanton families and one Dublin family — set out to restore "The Grand Dame of Pleasanton" nearly two years ago. They were coming in after the March 2018 shuttering of Handles Gastropub in the historic hotel.

"We poured our hearts into her! Restoring, renovating, and reinvigorating her. The decision to close was agonizing and heartbreaking," Westmoreland posted on Facebook. He also praised the community, his staff and the 17 families who invested in the project.

"I am proud of what we did accomplish ... we did create new memories for so many people and are certainly leaving The Pleasanton Hotel absolutely beautiful and better than we found her. I am proud to be a part of her history, even if it was for just a minute," he posted.

Westmoreland told Patch that he's in the process of working through the closures, and moving forward he will focus his energy on Eddie Papa's. He added, "I am humbled and overwhelmed by the outpouring of support."

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