SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The Mission Valley eatery bearing the name of the late Chargers star Junior Seau ceased operations Wednesday.
Seau died two weeks ago from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest in a spare bedroom of his Oceanside beachfront house. He was laid to rest on Friday, hours before a public memorial drew thousands of mourning fans to Qualcomm Stadium.
A group of trustees of his estate made the decision to close Seau's The restaurant, which opened in 1996.
"The trustees made their decision to honor Seau's legacy and preserve the memories of the excitement, fun and warmth that were the hallmarks of the restaurant during the famed linebacker's lifetime," said Bette Hoffman, a trustee, former director of the Junior Seau Foundation and ex-vice president of Seau's of San Diego LLC.
"Without Seau's charismatic leadership, it was felt that the future profitability of the restaurant could be in question", Hoffman said.
She said the estate will honor employee payroll and accrued vacation commitments.
"Junior's children and trustees want to extend a thank you to all of the patrons for the many years of support that helped make Seau's such a unique local dining and entertainment venue," Hoffman said. "Those who had the opportunity to cheer on the Chargers with Junior on a Sunday afternoon at the restaurant will never forget the experience."