It's the end of an era for Silver Lake's popular plant-based eatery, Jewel, as it prepares to shut down operations on June 30 after a six-year presence in the community. The restaurant's owner, Sharky McGee, made the bittersweet announcement via an Instagram post on June 19, citing "numerous unforeseen challenges, both personal and professional" as causes behind the closure. McGee, who co-founded Jewel with her now ex-wife Jasmine Shimoda in 2018, has been a fixture in the bustling restaurant, balancing various responsibilities from making coffee to greeting and serving customers.

The neighborhood fixture not only served as a dining venue but also as a communal space where customers could freely connect, sometimes forming unexpected bonds. Regular patrons Vincent Brook and his wife Karen, for instance, considered Jewel more than just a restaurant; it was part of their extended family. According to a recent interview, the Brook couple has been haunting Jewel since its inception, drawn initially by the food but soon after by the relationships they forged with the staff. "Sharky made us Godparents," Karen shared, signifying the depth of their connection to the place and its people.

With Jewel's impending closure, Silver Lake and Virgil Village are to lose yet another local business, a trend that has been increasingly common in the neighborhood. In early 2024, several establishments including Bar Moruno, El Cochinito, Bolita, and others either shuttered or changed hands, as detailed in a report by LA Eater. These closings reflect a broader shift in the local economy and community fabric, raising questions about the sustainability of independent businesses amidst rising costs and changing demographics.

Throughout Jewel's tenure, McGee observed these shifts firsthand. Stressing the competition with newer establishments, McGee said she simply couldn't contend with "a lot of new and shiny objects out there." The personal toll was evident in her reflections on the restaurant's journey, sharing with LA Eater, "Ultimately, I'm tired, and I would like to be able to just not be as stressed as I have been for the last however many years." This sentiment underscores both the practical and emotional hardships of running an intimate, community-oriented business in an ever-evolving urban neighborhood.

However, Jewel will not leave a void for long. A new entrant, Beautiful Day, a breakfast spot from La Quinta, is ready to take over the space on July 3. Jewel will formally bid adieu to its patrons and the corner of Hoover and Silver Lake at the end of the month, commemorating a chapter in the neighborhood's eclectic food scene as it makes way for the next.