On Thursday, Jan. 11, Joe Mazzotti says he had nobody to cook at Mazzotti’s, so he didn’t open the iconic Arcata Plaza restaurant. “December was probably one of the toughest financial Decembers I’ve had to face,” he says, explaining the restaurant was only pulling in about half of its usual $5,000 per night. “My money ran out and I was unable to keep our employees paid on time,” prompting some of the more than 40 staff members to look for work elsewhere. “People gotta do what they gotta do.” For him, that means shutting down the restaurant. Mazzotti, who closed down the Eureka Mazzotti’s location in 2019, says he’s considered opening the Mazzotti’s Arcata bar with a limited menu but decided against it. “The bills are piling up and I’ve just have run short on finances … it’s a financial fact of life,” he says. That includes outstanding payments to Wallace & Hinz for the custom bar the Blue Lake company built, over which he’s been in court. “I’m working through some plans and I’ve got some people who are interested in helping, but I’m not sure I want to burn thru their money and wind up in the same position in a month,” he says. Instead, he says he’s working on settling his debts to vendors and employees. He plans to sell the business, which has been on the market, now without the Mazzotti’s name attached to it.
There are, Mazzotti says, a couple of interested buyers with whom he’s in the process of negotiating, and given the prime location of the restaurant and its recent overhaul, he’s optimistic. Still, he says, “I’m tremendously saddened by all this, it’s a very emotional time for me. But God has a plan for us.”
Editor’s note: This post has been updated to reflect the correct closing date.
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This article appears in Health & Wellness 2024.
Maybe not wasting PPL money on fancy cars and parties and holidays would have been the way to go…you made some really douchey calls that others have to pay for..
Maybe having prices people could actually afford could have helped. The only place more expensive in Arcata is the Campground. $7.50 for a beer, $15.00 for a drink is a bit much
I don’t live in the area but do make to Arcata one to three times a year. I’m not privy to the inside workings going on at Mazzoti’s so I can’t comment on those but I am going to miss dinners there with friends. Mazzoti’s was always the must go to place. Where are we supposed to get our Fruita de Mar and Spinach Raviolis?
I was eating dinner here one Friday night when I saw the owner get served with court papers. Joe flipped out on this poor kid making a total ass of himself in front of the whole resturant. I know he lost a bunch of customers after that.
This guy blew his Covid relief money on a BMW and a shitty re model – GOOD RIDDANCE. He’s been bouncing checks for YEARS
This is a real lose for everyone. Im giving Joe a break, he’s been serving our family special lunches out and celebration dinners since I was a kid in the 80’s. He’s an OG for being in Business outlasting many and being of the few still in operation. His life as he knows it is no longer. Running a popular restaurant isn’t easy beans! So shut you pie hole up, you are not perfect!
I will agree, the remodel was less to be desired. Terrible decorator and I don’t even remember anything special about the custom bar, that was a rip off design.
Thank you Joe for the great memories!
This should not be a surprise to anyone who has anything to do with Mazottis. If you stand in line at Wells Fargo you can watch his poor employees checks bounce all day long. Bouncing paychecks to loyal employees while buying a Tacoma, $10,000 mountain bikes, and drones. Pissed and drank it all away. Surprisingly the employees hung on this long, good riddance.
Wow! Reality is difficult to face sometimes, but not doing it, it isn’t an option.
I used to live here in the 80’s, and I was so disappointed that some of the old standbys were gone.
I loved Johnny’s Cookhouse, Parlotto’s, Samoa Cookhouse,and various Fish restaurants.
I hope that someone will open a quality Italian restaurant with reasonable prices.
I would also like to see a really good Seafood restaurant with locally caught Seafood that’s also reasonable in price.
It would be a plus if the interiors were
well-designed and pleasant to be in.
It can be done,and not cost a fortune.
I know,because, I am a designer, and am more than happy to provide my advice.
Guy Had to Throw in the Invisible Man Syndrome at the End. He’d Get much more Experience in Electric Church.
Pick It Up.
Pack It Out.
Wait a few months and a burrito will be 16 bucks at a taco stand thankyou Biden voters
God’s plan? I guess its plan was for you to stiff employees and contractors, and end up not owning a restaurant.
******DONT MISS THIS REPLY******
Hello to Everyone here, thank you all so much for your comments… the Good, the Bad and the Ugly…. Truly, Thank You…
So I am sitting here trying not to Laugh my F’in Butt Off, because well I’m going to start with the kind folks first!
#1 To each and everyone one of you, we did our best to bring quality products to the community for many years. As evidenced by the fact that we legitimately would serve from 6-10 thousand people a month for 22 years in just the ARCATA Alone, tells me that that’s a lot of people with good taste and loyalty! Again thank you all!
Now to the Critics, Cynics and Crows….
#2 When you say things like the food isn’t real Italian food, or it taste terrible Gabriel’s is better, the quality is crappy, the service sucky, the drinks are over priced and so on etc… you just sound depressed, immature and condescending… much less you just make me laugh at how absolutely clueless, misinformed and helplessly sad people you must be in general. I won’t cook my food differently for you because you don’t like the flavor, goto Gabriels, Meish, Annielle, Homeille their father Tony (RIP) are close friends… Tony and I worked out for 3 months together, we did squats and legs the Friday before he passed away that Sunday doing their family Bible reading that evening in front of all his kids, my friends…. I was devastated. I think their food is better then mine too, because I eat mine all the time, and I love to go there and get a different flavor profile, and it’s delicious, so I agree… But if you think that that’s gonna rattle my cage… Again, as mentioned above, without having to say it, the Tanski’s are like family… So I agree their foods great and mine sucks because I get sick of eating it too… But basically I don’t have to change my recipes you need to just change the restaurant you want to go to… If you just don’t like the chicken, Parm, or the fettuccine, go eat somewhere else… always right I’m sorry you’re not right. If you think my Alfredo isn’t made to your standards, it’s my Alfredo… If you don’t like it, go eat somewhere else go make your own… They have jars of it at Safeway. So you’re my recipe is a great recipe. If you don’t like it that doesn’t mean. I’m wrong and you’re right. So why don’t you get out of your seat because there’s probably 10 people standing at the door. If you don’t like our decor, that’s fine you know we don’t like everything in life there’s a lot of things I don’t like I like for instance, I didn’t like to go into Kmart. I like to go into target but target looked like a really clean Kmart same looks really in a lot of ways, same miles but Kmart was just didn’t like Kmart but I love target but they sold same items I mean I think they both had the same paper towels toilet paper just didn’t appeal to me at Kmart so I go to target no hard feelings. But I don’t go. You see what freaking Kmart looks like place. It looks like shit man the isles it is and the color left and the way that it set up and blah blah blah sounds stupid. I mean it really just sounds like oh my God dude you got anything better to do anyways that’s on you I don’t really care.
Now to the haters… Who seem to think they know my personal life and how I manage it and your perception of it
#3 I’ll start with the Cars, just to clarify, I have a 2006, M5 BMW 5.5 Troy Jeup stroker… It pulls away from Teslas. The only one I can’t beat is the plaid. Off the line they get you, but my car catches them and they look at me like why are you passing me and pulling away from me because Beat everybody but sorry you’re not gonna be the M5 not Mazzotti’s m5! Now to my my 2017 Tacoma with a stage four suspension a tuned engine wheels and tires custom everything matched flares bed kit a stereo that can compete and competitions. I call it boom truck. It’s my boom truck. You’ll hear me come sometime it’s a bad ass truck. And it looks good and I love it. And then to the really cool one is my 2022 Lincoln aviator hybrid. It has over 600 hp in excite mode and it too, pulls away from Camaros the Dodge challengers they shit their pants when they’re looking at you at 100 mph and you’re starting to pull away from them and chargers… And it’s fully luxury and there’s only I think like 50 of them because it is the limited black edition. A freaking bad vehicle that lowers itself when you park like the Lincoln’s dead and lowers itself down looks like a low rider when it does when you put it in exciting mode bad ass and I’m proud of it… Sorry you don’t have those but I do.
Super cool Specialized pedal assist pro mountain bikes… They were a little bit more than $1500 each but you know wouldn’t wanna too much because you know me I’m such a big spender wouldn’t wanna hurt your feelings anymore because all this are probably worth more than the house. These bikes are not to be taken lightly. They pedal assist. Meaning you work your ass off you can go Eco. or turbo if you’re an Eco mode you’re working just as hard to get up a hill as the Amish Bikes. I love coming down the mountains and I ride back up. again like 5678 times. You don’t have one that’s on you maybe you should get off your ass work a little harder have some dreams have some goals. Have some fun. but just get your facts right? Because someone said I had a BMW SUV I don’t like those. Those things suck everybody’s got those there’s only one of my aviators only one of my M5s around here. So sorry for you. which again makes you look like a jack wagon because you just obviously just can’t get your ass off the computer, talking shit on everybody to go out and get the things that you want in life. I love Cars I always have since I was a kid everybody knows Joe’s cars have always been nice everyone of them and I make them nice and I’m proud of it so enough that. Just get your fax right is all.
To all of my financial… Most you who are talking out your backside, probably up in the hills getting in the shower, maybe once every three or four days up there, trimming, vaping, mushrooms, come down out of the hills like a hillbilly, when you beat up busted 1979 Toyota, probably still have beer cans from last year’s party in your car… you just not like have any responsibility to know 5060 employees, rents, utilities, 25 vendors, all of these different things like forest fires during summer and too many nine closed down 199 is closed down 1 oh1s closed down and Summers down. I think we were down 30% this year… Yeah, my finances took a.… But when you say you see the same employees going in their checks, can’t clear or something like that. Why did they stay? They’re full grown adults and if it doesn’t work, just go get a job somewhere else. But they say because. I have people that worked for me for 24 years 22 years I’m not gonna name their names because I don’t have can post their own 12 years 16 years I got a guy that works for me that works for my dad, when I was really young and knew Eureka he works for us. I was loyal front staff. But again you know misinformation, but I’m gonna make any excuses. Yeah, I have financial woes man and 54 years you’re gonna go through some troubles I know a lot of you, you know warriors you are incognito that don’t wanna put your name like I will you know get on here and post your real name and say hey Mazzotti, this is you know Bill Johnson and this is what I think of you you put this is Billy Bob trimmer 2024. And talk your shit… But I’m an open book , I don’t have anything to hide. My place is what it is….. but I have not lost any of my employees not one other than people that had to go and move to go out of town from school and just get on with their life and it’s a fact so you know there are a few people that you have left with hard feelings, but that’s just what it is but all all of those people got paid. Sometimes it just was a couple days late or sometimes a check out return it just happens I mean they’re not the only ones I’ve returned a bunch of checks to Sysco, Humboldt Beer, Al Cooper, Al Cooper one of my best friends, the owner of Humboldt Beer I mean I know all the owners of the businesses and they just calling me is Joe your check bounced? I said yeah I know man I budget did last weekend and we did a $20,000 weekend and they say hey man all right well the product still there but well still flows and 6000 people still eat so again you don’t have to deal with anything like that so I mean you just sound stupid when you are said they’re being like a peanut gallery. Got your popcorn watching a movie being a critic and just go take a shower and cut and use some under arm deodorant, dude and don’t smoke so much pot that you know it smells like a skunk while I’m trying to watch a movie with you anyways. Done with that.
Now to Mazzotti’s, I’ve seen the writing on the wall for a while the economy has changed, and the concept of full service restaurants has changed immensely… I’ll give you a civics and and business management let’s just say blurb..
Full service restaurants don’t work anymore because the labor factors are so high. The food costs are so high so you are paying much more in minimum wages so that forces people to go up to you you know from you know if you’re a Busser at 1550 well, you know your piece of coal 118 to 19 and if the pizza cooks get that. then the line and expediter is 22 and then the guy in the managers are gonna want 25 and 26. Meanwhile meanwhile I said that I’m not gonna walk out to you know it’s $25 an hour. I need 50 bucks for that plate of. I just does not anymore so I didn’t and so in the background I was making plans to figure out how I could preserve my employees number one because they love the restaurant and there’s only be coming back.. standby hold on get to the edge of your seats… Here it comes..!
I sold the facility to one of my very close friends. He’s a very well-known local restaurant owner. He has restaurants in Oregon as well. He is coming and we are going to do a brand new concept there and I’m going to help develop it, and I’m going to manage it with him because he’s all and we’re going to do a major not redesigned, but change the color schemes. It’s gonna be basically a bistro meets a sports bar meets a brewery. Full service establishment.
We’re gonna be doing entertainment the right way we’re going to be doing events we are going to have every single holiday of any significance will be packed as matter fact, the place will be packed every freaking day, and every night… Mazzotti’s ran its course. People have been eating Mazzotti’s for 45 years, I am sick of eating Mazzotti. Sick of going down to Mazzotti’s. I’m tired of smelling the food and eating that I mean I love my food don’t get me wrong, but I’m done with it… But contrary to your statements. I am being hired as a consultant and not only that I’m being paid very well for the purchase of the facility… And the liquor license… Continue to drive my bad ass cars and live in my nice little place here, I get to travel I get to do what I want to do in life I get to live the life and I’m set free. I won’t be the guy has to hand out Paychex and I won’t be the guy that has to make sure taxes are paid and I won’t have to be the person who has to make sure all the repairs are done and the supplies are on the shelves for the first time in my life And 40 years because I took over 30 years. Sorry I took over when I was 24 when my dad died Clyde Mazzotti, rest in peace. And this is such a happy time for me in my life I am so happy I got to walk my dog on the beach today for two hours and I was nice to her and loved on her because I was not in a hurry to get down to the restaurant, because of a stressful situation or taxes, being due or the bank account being tight… so my friend and you guys know him but I’m not gonna mention his name again cause I don’t do that he can tell you when he’s ready, he’s ready to put a ton of money into the place when we already just did a bunch of the place already and it’s going to be the nicest restaurant in the entire county. And I will be there to see you guys and I bet you a bunch of shit talkers we walk right through the front door Billy Bob trimmer, 2024. The guy above that I said will look me swearing in the face and annoyed he said And know what I said here, and you will have to know that you are the coward and I’m not… My plan was to make sure that that place could carry on and be better than it was, and guess what it is and so, hold on hold tight sit in your seats
I’m laughing my ass off because I just love all the negative comments I loved all of the cynics and critics and mostly I just I can’t believe it because I’m sitting here laughing while I write this because we’re just about to start construction on Monday we just have to get a bunch of Mazzotti’s old stuff out of there And we We’ve got companies coming because the new guy he doesn’t really know how to build restaurants, but he knows how to run him and he has money so I get the pleasure to do this again but it’s not on my shoulders if this is gonna be so much fun I can’t even wait. I can’t even wait. I’m so excited to do new plates specials new appetizers new drink specials, new themes music system, that we already put in there that will you know games on the big screen TVs that we have… It’s gonna be fun and I don’t have to stress about it. I don’t have to be the guy that makes sure the checks clear for the first time in my life… And I’m so excited I can’t wait to see Billy, Bob, TRI 2024 walk through the front front door and go all man there’s Mazzotti Richard drive oh shit there’s a zoom man that thing is nice. I wish I was pothead dumb shit net warrior, and I had one of those.
Enclosing thank you to all the people that supported us. We love you and I will see you there and I get to actually walk around the dining room now and talk to you guys all and not be stressed and you know wanna talk to you and give you time, but in the back office, there’s a situation and I’m stressed out smile externally. Now I’m smiling internally and externally and I just I mean I’m sorry I’m kind of stuttering and rambling but I’m just laying here. Whole thing and the things people say and so I can’t wait to get up in the morning cause I usually ride my bike but it’s been raining a lot so I’ll take my dog. My Belgian Malonois and her name is rain… to Mad River and I run her and then I come home and I ride my bikes to and I work out and then I go to work usually but now I get to do it so much easier I get to live the life so I set myself up and we have a meeting in two weeks and pretty much I think about 80% of the staff that works for me and Mazzotti’s are coming back as they know the place better than I do. They know the place better than Jack does they’re there more than any of us…
And as for the negative comments about my life and my loss and that type of stuff and I Hines and I were settled, we just had a disagreement about some timelines. He ordered equipment late and the equipment was told that it was gonna be 6 to 8 months because it was Covid it was right during Covid and I told him to Order it in March and he waited till October and I had told him you know we better order it and he said that he had but he didn’t But it forced us to open three months later than what we were supposed to and I don’t Tom Tellez. He’s a great guy. He did a great job on my bar. And he’s a great man but unfortunately I got tight financially so I couldn’t pay him and The process of making sure that you know they secured the money through the lawsuit and now they get payments and they’re super cool and Tom gets a big chunk of money every month and it’s getting paid off and now it’s really gonna get paid off because I’m getting paid off really well. and so I’m just Laying here laughing at Billy Bob trimmer, 2024 and all of the cynics up there. And I hope when you come in and see me I hope that you pucker up what we used to call pinching it when you came out into a corner in your car too fast and you thought you were gonna go off the thing and just squeeze you a little butt cheeks and you pull the leather for it of your seat up in your butt… I hope you do that and I hope that you look over at me and I’m happy and I’m smiling and probably gonna walk up to you and I’m probably really really nice and you’re gonna get to really know who I am really and you’re gonna walk out of there and I just hope you learn a lesson about yourself because I don’t care if you like me or not because you know what there’s an old saying “as long as you have more people that love you than hate you you’ve done a good job or ” in this town there’s a few haters yes. But there’s a whole lot of people that love Joe Mazzotti and that’s just undeniable so anyhow, that’s a wrap.
My personal life is my personal life. I haven’t been perfect. Made mistakes. Hell just made some mistakes recently but you know what Construction starts soon Hope that I see all of the great people that loved Mazzotti’s. Can walk through there because there’s gonna be calzones. There’s gonna be things that we did the Mazzotti’s dead but it’s gonna be a new. New name, new ownership, and I’m just gonna come. Be there a few nights and days a week and enjoy myself and help the new owner my good best friend be a successful as possible because he’s got money and resources and he wants that place right and he loves the place. He’s giddy. I was there with him yesterday and he’s just so excited about it and because he owns multiple restaurants and this one he said is he’s going to be his baby, so I get to be part of that… So
Thank you to the ones that support me, to the ones that don’t like my product or maybe they don’t like our new products. No hard feelings go to campground go to Salt go to pho chili House whatever… It’s no hard feelings. Your taste buds are different… In my opinion I think you probably have problems with your taste buds and that’s really what… But that’s just my opinion and the haters. I hope I see you on the freeway and you have to look over and see my bad ass M5 or my bad ass aviator, Lincoln or maybe I’ll drive over you with my bitching ass Toyota Tacoma truck Bump in two live crew Louder then a construction zone because I’ve always liked Music if you know, Joe Mazzotti, and you grew up with me, I used to be one of the best DJ companies in the county my truck, a Toyota back, then was a competition Truck with a stereo that won awards… It’s just I like music my restaurant when we would do music of Mazzotti’s I’m sure Billy Bob trimmer 20 2024 probably came to a Melvin Seals in the Jerry Garcia band and puffed his stuff. There was super happy. think you probably every day did anything like that and that’s just a few I mean KRS one, Lindley, Ozley, Marley, I mean, you know all the reggae act we’ve had there, pull that off go ahead try to do it you haven’t and you never will and so that’s just on you dude, not on me
So anyways, good night everybody see you in the next couple of months. It’s an exciting time for me at least is for me. I don’t know about some of you people seems to me like our miserable and so that’s cool for you. I’m sorry ISo anyways, good night everybody see you in the next couple of months. It’s an exciting time for me at least is for me I don’t know about some of you people seems to me like our miserable and so that’s cool for you. I’m sorry I mean this is the season Happiness but maybe that’s just not you. But yeah pretty stoked can’t can’t wait… I’m gonna be up riding my mountain bike. Maybe when you’re on your Amish non-pedis $500 huffy and you know blow make sure you say hey Billy Bob 24 right here. Love you dude, good night
There was a lot there… And I didn’t wanna lay here on my telephone and edit and punctual check for punctual, correctness and stuff like that…
I think you get my point… But you’re just all wrong, this thing worked out and God’s timing and in his ways. And I honestly going to go to sleep I’m sleeping in get to do what I wanna do feel super freaking good, Billy Bob Trimmer 2024 should probably get off the computer and go clean his truck out get that beer can smell out of there… I’ll help you do it.
Get your stories correct or just stay out and shut up, because if anybody would like to ask a specific question below, I will check in and I will answer you directly anything… I’d say anything about anything… I don’t care I don’t really care if you like me or not because I don’t ever really see you I only see a few people a day in my life so if you know you’re crowning, you have some grudge with me I don’t give a shit about that. But if I had a grudge with somebody and I didn’t like them and they have a happy life I’m the only one that’s hurting inside or the troubled or doing that I mean why would I wanna sit here with her meeting stomach opinion of somebody and they don’t even know it it’s just hurting you I’m just laughing man. Good night y’all… Sincerely, Joe Mazzotti.
Joe, reading your lengthy comments really exposes how fragile your ego is. This is also coming from a long time local business owner. Get some therapy and pay your bills. After reading your tirade, I will never step foot in any establishment you have anything to do with ever again. And I stepped foot in your establishment often. You just burnt so many bridges with your comments. Best of luck. Pay Wallace and Hinz!
To so long Joe…
BYE…. but you’re a coward for not saying who you are… you have a fragile and weak character!
Again, for every one step you took through the doors of my restaurants…. 1000000s more will fill that space! Hope you like to eat McDonald’s all the time while your other community members are laughing (with my fragile ego) and me at this soon to be special place for our beautiful county!
So…. SO LONG “SO LONG JOE” and if you read the article…. Wallace and Hinz and everyone else I gets paid!
I bet your business has you staring out your window and saying man? Look at the line out that fragile ego business there!
Ok….. NEXT ANYONE? Come on think of a good Moniker For your Comment Name!
Maybe Douche Bag Zoti?
I love me some In-N-Out. No McDanks for me.
Any chance Mazzotti’s butter might return to stores? That was always a favorite of mine.
I don’t know anything about the financial dealings, so I won’t comment on them. I do know that Mazzotti,s had employees who worked there for many, many years. I don’t think they would have done that if Joe treated them badly or did not pay them. As far as the quality of the food, it seemed fine to me. The salads were good, the bread was excellent and the entrées were large. I did not find it to be especially expensive. I found the service to be excellent also. I liked the remodel too. I have known Joe a long time from HealthSport and other social interactions. I never heard him say a negative word about anyone ever and he was always a gentleman. I have trouble believing he is an alcoholic or does drugs having had dinner with him and working out with him many times at the gym. All the piling on by anonymous posters has obviously gotten under his skin. He probably posted some statements that he will regret going forward. When we are personally attacked like he has been here, the first response is to attack back. He seems to be in a bad place financially and that pressure can make one act out of character. Personally, I wish him well and am praying he overcomes this trying time to prosper emotionally and financially in the near future.