daily echo Ojo Rojo will shut for good in June after co-founder Trevor Hill said the Bournemouth restaurant received notice to close at the Royal Exeter Hotel. Hill said the building is under new ownership and the new plans do not include the Mexican restaurant.
The closure ends a run that began around 2016, with Ojo Rojo moving into the hotel last November. Hill said the team was not going to go quietly and promised: "We're going to have a full room, loud music and the best five weeks we could ever have."
Trevor Hill and Richard Carr
Hill said in a post this week that the owners had given the restaurant notice and that the decision was outside the team’s control. He also said, "After such incredible support with our move in to this space, it comes as such a massive blow, but unfortunately it's just not something we have any kind of control over."
The Royal Exeter Hotel was recently taken over by property developer Richard Carr, according to the Bournemouth Echo. Ojo Rojo had earned places in the UK Top 50 Cocktail Bars ranking across multiple years, and Hill said he and JJ Adams were "insanely proud" of the bar's success.
Bournemouth customers react
Recent visitors had described Ojo Rojo as the "best Mexican in the UK" and one of the only reasons to visit Bournemouth. Another reviewer said it was the "nicest restaurant I have ever been to in my whole 25 years of living," while a separate visitor praised a bowl of nachos with 16 flavours.
Locals reacted to the closure with grief. One said, "I can't believe it. All the time and love poured into this place." Another wrote, "I'm so gutted for you all. You've all worked so hard and been amazing. Ojo Rojo means so much to so many people, and that's because of the staff and the ethos. It will never be forgotten."
Ojo Rojo's final weeks
Hill said the restaurant's remaining time would be used to make the most of the farewell, with loud music and a full room through the final five weeks. For regular customers, that leaves a short window to visit before the Bournemouth venue closes for good in June.
