Closings

The Hump Closes Itself as a ‘Self-Imposed Punishment’

When you get caught serving, rather than freeing Willy, you have two options: stay open and hope your ghastly name doesn’t invoke years of scorn and ridicule, or close up shop and attempt to move forward while federal prosecutors pick at your remains. The Hump, caught serving endangered sei whale sushi, has opted for the latter, closing after service this past Saturday just two weeks following the whale meat crime revelation. In a formal announcement on its website, the restaurant says the closure was made to bring awareness to the effect of poaching endangered creatures, something they’ve already done one helluva job doing. Additional action will be taken to support endangered species, writes the owner. So what did The Hump have to say exactly?

To explain the closure of its Santa Monica airport sushi restaurant (The Hump’s pan-Asian Typhoon restaurant will stay open), the restaurant issued the following statement on its website.

After twelve years doing business in Santa Monica, The Hump will be closing its doors effective March 20th, 2010.

The Hump hopes that by closing its doors, it will help bring awareness to the detrimental effect that illegal whaling has on the preservation of our ocean ecosystems and species. Closing the restaurant is a self-imposed punishment on top of the fine that will be meted out by the court. The Owner of The Hump also will be taking additional action to save endangered species.

One such action will be to make a substantial contribution to one or more responsible organizations dedicated to the preservation of whales and other endangered species.

The Hump apologizes to our loyal customers, the community of Santa Monica, and the public at large for our illegal actions. While the current difficulties faced by The Hump overshadow the many friendships formed over the years, we want our customers and friends to know how much we thank you for your support.

So sayonara, for now, to the chefs and staff of The Hump. We’ll let our readers know the next time any of them breach in L.A. or elsewhere, which we’d strongly recommend relocating to if they’re to open another restaurant without stigma.

The Hump is Closing Its Doors [The Hump]
Earlier: The Cove Filmmakers Bust Restaurant for Serving Whale [Grub Street]
The Hump Says “Sorry” to Whale Lovers [Grub Street]

The Hump Closes Itself as a ‘Self-Imposed Punishment’