Smallwares' Somewhat 'Cursed' Pop-up Lil'Wares To Close

Opened June 1, Lil'Wares was chef Johanna Ware's opportunity to experiment with lunch and brunch dishes just down the road from her Smallwares restaurant. With this in mind, the Beaumont-Wilshire pop-up has served its purpose, and speaking with Eater by phone today, Ware says Lil'Wares will close August 31.

"It had a rocky start. We were kind of joking that it was cursed," says Wares. "My front of the house manager fell and broke her shoulder right at the beginning and was out for six weeks." Ware was spread so thin she began to wear running shoes to help her get between restaurants.

Ware says it was ultimately a fun learning experience, and she's closing shop for two reasons wholly unrelated to curses and hexes of all kinds. The first reason is that, once school starts, demand for lunch in the neighborhood goes down. The second reason is one that Ware knew back when she opened Lil'Wares: the building that houses it will be demolished.

Fans of Lil'Wares: Do not get completely hysterical, yet. Once Lil'Wares closes, brunch will resume at Smallwares, and some of the most popular dishes at Lil'Wares may appear on the Smallwares menu this fall. But right now, get Ware's especially "inauthentic Asian" food while you can.