Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/8/26 – I honestly still cannot believe I am writing this.
Last night I heard that TRIO Restaurant in Palm Springs had suddenly closed. I didn’t believe it. Then I heard it again today.
Still, part of me thought, No way. Not TRIO.
So, Saturday afternoon, right around 4 p.m., the time TRIO normally opened for Happy Hour every day except Wednesday, I called the restaurant, hoping to hear a familiar voice. Maybe Dominic. Maybe Chris. Somebody who could tell me this wasn’t true.
Instead, I got the answering machine. I believe it was Chris’ voice on the recording, which somehow made the whole thing even sadder.
No one answered.
And suddenly it started to feel very real.
After 17 years in Palm Springs, TRIO has closed its doors at 707 N. Palm Canyon Drive, bringing an abrupt end to one of the city’s most familiar and beloved neighborhood restaurants.
And for us, it was much more than just a restaurant.
It was our place.
TRIO was only about seven blocks from my Palm Springs home, so it became our go-to whenever we wanted something easy, familiar and reliably good. We didn’t have to think about it. TRIO was just there.
And we were literally just dining there this past Monday.
That may be one of the strangest parts of all.
We had dinner, enjoyed ourselves as always, and once again ran into our friend Todd, whom we seemed to see there over and over again.
Now TRIO is suddenly gone, and one of my first thoughts was: How are we going to find Todd again?
That sounds funny, but anyone who has ever had a favorite neighborhood restaurant understands.
After a while, it stops being only about the food.
It becomes about who you see when you walk in, who knows you, who remembers what you like, who stops by the table to say hello and who somehow always seems to be sitting at the bar when you arrive.
Of course, the food was a huge part of why we kept going back.
We absolutely loved the bacon-wrapped dates.
Then there was the veggie flatbread, one of our favorites, along with the prime rib, the smash burgers and so many other dishes over the years.
TRIO was one of those places where we had favorites, but there was always something else tempting us that we still had not tried; on the menu.
The restaurant opened in 2009 and became a fixture in Palm Springs’ Uptown Design District, eventually building the kind of loyal following that every neighborhood restaurant hopes for.
TRIO was also very much a part of the Palm Springs community.
Over the years, the restaurant supported local organizations, hosted fundraisers and became a gathering place for locals, visitors and longtime regulars.
According to reporting by The Desert Sun, former longtime owner and co-founder Tony Marchese said he was heartbroken by the closure and reflected on the many relationships, celebrations and charitable events connected to TRIO over the years.
Executive Chef Gladis Lizarraga said employees had learned approximately a month earlier that the restaurant would be closing and described the staff as being like a family.
That certainly felt true from the customer side as well.
For us, Dominic was one of those familiar faces who made TRIO feel like TRIO.
And of course there was Chris McElroy, who joined the restaurant in 2014 and later became its owner.
Right now, there are still questions about exactly why TRIO closed so suddenly, and I am not going to speculate. I would love to hear directly from Chris when the time is right.
What I do know is that Palm Springs is going to feel different without it.
Restaurants close. Businesses change. Cities evolve.
But certain places quietly become part of your life.
They become the place where you meet for Happy Hour.
The place where you know exactly what you’re going to order.
The place you can walk or drive over to without making a big plan.
The place where you run into Todd.
The place where Dominic, & so many others over the years, takes care of you.
The place that becomes part of your Palm Springs routine.
That was TRIO for us.
And perhaps that is why this one feels so sad.
We have written about TRIO before for The Hollywood Times, and I certainly never imagined I would one day be writing about its closing. Even spent this past New Years Eve there.
Just days ago, it was still our neighborhood restaurant.
Today, there is silence on the other end of the phone.
It is surreal.
To Chris, Dominic, the chefs, servers, bartenders and everyone who made TRIO feel so welcoming over the years: thank you.
Thank you for the dinners, the Happy Hours, the bacon-wrapped dates, the veggie flat bread, the prime rib, the smash burgers, the conversations and all those unexpected encounters with friends.
Seventeen years is an incredible run.
But for those of us who loved TRIO, it still feels much too soon.
And Todd, wherever you are, I guess we need to find ourselves a new meeting place.
We are really going to miss you, TRIO.
Our TRIO Memories
Over the years, The Hollywood Times has had the pleasure of covering TRIO several times, celebrating its food, its people and its place in the Palm Springs community.
Looking back at those stories now makes this sudden closing feel even more bittersweet.
Previous TRIO coverage from The Hollywood Times:
The Hollywood Times Covers Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce – PSP Airport Mixer – Hollywood Times
TRIO Rings in 2026 with Flavor, Friends, and live DJ Music – Hollywood Times
A Toast to Elegance: Palm Springs Equality Wine Fest Opens with Flavor and Flair – Hollywood Times
Sip, Savor, and Celebrate: MacRostie Wine Pairing Dinner at TRIO Palm Springs – Hollywood Times
Our Special Food Review:
Trio in Palm Springs – Hollywood Times
