A cliffside California wedding venue is abruptly closing amidst fears it could collapse into the ocean leaving couples scrambling to find somewhere new to get married.

The decision to shutter the Ventana Grill in Pismo Beach has sparked panic for those due to celebrate their nuptials at the restaurant, as well as 79 employees who will lose their jobs.

Some couples have just weeks to find a new venue after the San Luis Obispo Superior Court ordered that the restaurant close down by September 18.

A local wedding photographer described chaos as staff attempt to work quickly to help impacted couples. 

‘Their coordinators are frantically trying to help Brides who have upcoming dates find new venues. I guess it’s super unexpected, but it’s happening,’ the photographer wrote on Nextdoor.

The decision was handed down following a lengthy legal battle after the venue’s landlord CCC PSC Owner claimed the property is at risk of slipping into the nearby Pacific Ocean due to coastal erosion.

The Ventana Grill’s parent company Old Custom House, Inc. disagreed and argued that the premises should be allowed to continue operating, citing the impact on staff and customers.

Ultimately, a judge sided with the landlord on August 27 and the restaurant has been forced to close.

Ventana Grill, a scenic wedding venue on the California coast, will be forced to shut down on September 18 after a lengthy legal battle between its landlords and owners

Event planner Lauren Lula is among those saying goodbye to the venue after more than a decade in business 

The Ventana Grill is a beloved neighborhood restaurant that reliably served the area as a wedding venue and scenic dinner spot for over a decade.

Since 2010, it has been serving up Latin-fusion seafood such as $28 Crab Encrusted Mahi Mahi and $35 Skuna Bay Salmon.

Among those saying goodbye to the venue is events coordinator Lauren Lula, who has spent years organizing weddings, rehearsal dinners and anniversary parties and other celebrations at Ventana Grill. 

‘I’m devastated, especially after dedicating over a decade of my life to this place. Ventana has been such a huge part of my life, and saying goodbye is incredibly difficult,’ she wrote on her Facebook page. 

Since news of the closure broke, wedding venues in Pismo Beach and nearby Templeton have taken to social media to lend a helping hand to any couples hunting for a new location.

The restaurant is no longer taking reservations, but is open to visits until September 12.

The judge’s decision brings a turbulent year-long legal battle to a close. 

It began last July, when CCC PSC Owner ordered Ventana Grill to close after claiming geotechnical experts found ‘significant stability issues’ on the bluffs it sits on, SFGate reported. 

Ventana Grill is located a top of a coastal bluff that has been subject to coastal erosion over the years, according to its landlords

But Old Custom House disagreed and told the court: ’79 employees will lose their jobs, countless bookings for weddings and other events will have to be canceled. We will suffer a huge blow to the goodwill of our business.’ 

The landlords argued that Old Custom House’s rebuttal ignores the potential risks and dangers if Ventana Grill remains in operation.

‘Custom House boils down to a “safe enough for now” and “wait-and-see” bet. But it is betting with people’s lives,’ attorneys for CCC wrote in a court letter. 

Both CCC and Old Custom House brought in a handful of experts, engineers and geologists, to assess the structural integrity of the land. Evidence on both sides contradicted the other, court records revealed.  

In the end, it was determined that it is unsafe to keep Ventana Grill in operation.

Patrons from near and far have begun squeezing in their last hurrah with the establishment before they have to say goodbye forever. 

A Nextdoor user local to Pismo Beach wrote: ‘My wife Barb and I had our last brunch this past Sunday. 

The closure has left couples with nuptials booked at the venue scrambling to find somewhere new before it closes for good on September 18

‘It was truly bittersweet, knowing that the place would be closing soon. It was our favorite brunch spot, with that excellent view. 

‘We wished all the employees well. Told them how sorry we were that the place was closing. Really gonna miss the staff and those brunches.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives of CCC, Old Custom House Inc., and Ventana Grill for comment.