New restaurant to move into Alex Bar-B-Q's Shell Beach spot

A new restaurant will replace Alex Bar-B-Q, the iconic Shell Beach eatery that's set to close on Sunday.

Compass Health Inc., which owns the restaurant space, plans to remodel it and reopen sometime this spring, said Darren Smith, chief executive officer. The Grover Beach-based company also owns Ventana Grill in Shell Beach and Custom House, Mr. Rick's and Mission Pizza in Avila Beach.

While it's too soon to say what this restaurant will be, said Smith, it will retain a portion of the barbecue items as a section of the overall new menu.

"We're trying to make sure that we don't diverge from what people want and expect," Smith said. "We're trying to get a feel for what the community has expressed interest in, and many people are interested in a barbecue component. If at all possible, we will pursue and retain the history of that location."

Alex Bar-B-Q, originally founded by Alex Angelo as Alex's Shell Beach Inn, has been a fixture in Shell Beach since 1942, operating in the same location, according to the restaurant's website.

This story was originally published August 28, 2014 at 11:34 AM with the headline "New restaurant to move into Alex Bar-B-Q's Shell Beach spot."