Riverside resident Rudy Tieu, 34, brought his nearly 1-year-old son, Oliver, to the Farrell’s ice cream shop in Riverside first the first on Saturday.

It may very well be Oliver’s last.

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The Riverside restaurant will close at the end of business Sunday, said manager Regan Ford.

The business held its grand opening at 3610 Park Sierra Drive, across from Kaiser Permanente, on Jan. 31, 2013.

The Riverside Farrell’s has about 75 mostly part-time employees.

Manager Jordan Fisher carries out “The Zoo” at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.

The volcano, which is 30 scoops of vanilla ice cream, is brought out at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.

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Food runner Danielle Caceres rushes food for customers Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.

A huge bowl of ice cream known as “The Zoo” is carried around Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.

Workers sing to customers at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.



Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour’s also have a large selection of candies for sale including their new location in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.

Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.

Kimberly Miller, of Riverside, takes a photo of her chocolate ice cream soda before enjoying it at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.

A collection of hats at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.

1 year old Ava Bell, of Corona, enjoys a spoon of ice cream at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.



The banana split at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013.

From left, Vivian Conrad, 8, and sister, Olivia, 9, both of Riverside, consume 9-oz. sundaes at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant as fast as they can on Thursday, June 26, 2014. The two were attempting to qualify for FarrellÕs annual summertime Ice Cream Eating Challenge to be held on July 20. Looking on is server, Rilee Acrey, center.

A server prepares two 9-oz. sundaes for children competing in an ice cream-eating contest at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant in Riverside on Thursday, June 26, 2014.

A store manager keeps time as Vivian Conrad, 8, and sister, Olivia, 9, both of Riverside, consume 9-oz. sundaes at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant as fast as they can on Thursday, June 26, 2014. The two were attempting to qualify for FarrellÕs annual summertime Ice Cream Eating Challenge to be held on July 20.

Server Rilee Acrey delivers two 9-oz. sundaes to Vivian Conrad, 8, and sister, Olivia, 9, both of Riverside, at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant where the two sisters attempted to qualify for FarrellÕs annual summertime Ice Cream Eating Challenge to be held on July 20.



Vivian Conrad, 8, of Riverside, polishes off a 9-oz. sundae at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant on Thursday, June 26, 2014. Conrad was attempting to qualify for FarrellÕs annual summertime Ice Cream Eating Challenge to be held on July 20.

A sign outside Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant in Riverside advertises FarrellÕs annual summertime Ice Cream Eating Challenge to be held on July 20.

Nathan Francisco, 17, of Riverside, used his job at Farrell’s to pop the prom question to his girlfriend, Courtney Barnes. His singing invitation was one of three finalists in a “promposal” contest among students at Poly High School in Riverside.

Rudy Tieu had hoped to bring his son back to the restaurant in about two weeks to celebrate Oliver’s first birthday – and begin what he hoped would be a long tradition of birthday celebrations.

Tieu recalls as a young boy that his early birthdays were celebrated at the Farrell’s in Rosemead, which he said closed when he was about 14.

He still plans to make that a tradition, perhaps by visiting the more distant Farrell’s in Brea.

‘Very disappointed’ about the closure

Customers who learned of the closure Saturday were sad to hear the news.

“It’s a great place to bring kids and visitors from out-of-the area,” said Pam Thornton, of Riverside, who brought two grandchildren visiting from Billings, Mont., to the restaurant Saturday afternoon.

“We have celebrated many birthdays here,” she said, adding, “I’m very disappointed to hear that it will close.”

Tammy Carroll, who is visiting her son and his family in Redlands from St. Petersberg, Fla., insisted that son Steve stop into the Riverside Farrell’s on their way back from an Orange County beach.

“I remember going to these when I was a kid,” Tammy Carroll said.

The rise and fall of Farrell’s

The closure of the Riverside store comes as the chain has experienced tough times.

Jeff Galluzzo, 45, a shift supervisor at the Riverside Farrell’s said he thought the closure might happen, but hoped it wouldn’t.

Farrell’s was originally a family chain of full-service restaurants that served enormous ice cream desserts such as The Zoo and The Trough in a boisterous kids party atmosphere. It died off in the late 1980s but was revived in 2009 in Mission Viejo.

Soon, locations opened in Sacramento, Brea, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga and Buena Park.

But financial problems developed. The Mission Viejo location closed in January 2016, with the company citing problems coming to terms on a lease renewal.

Farrell’s: “It’s going to be a full-scale revision,” said Travis Lee, director of operations. Lee said diners will enjoy a higher quality menu of scratch-made foods, a new dining room with an ice cream shop for to-go orders, new employee uniforms and a new line of ice cream. (Register file photo)

Marcus Lemonis, host of The Profit, center, gives tips to Travis Lee, Director of Operations. Lee remains at the company, but other executives have left including Marketing Director Shauna Parisi. (Courtesy CNBC)

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Farrell’s in Buena Park is scheduled to open Aug. 5 after a major remodel. (ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)

A huge bowl of ice cream known as “The Zoo” is carried around Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Signature desserts like this will still be available on the menu, according to Farrell’s. (File photo)

Farrell’s: The remodel in Buena Park comes months after a management shake-up at the company. Lemonis took over the brand earlier this year after investing $750,000 in Farrell’s, which was featured last summer on his reality business show. During the show, Lemonis took a 51 percent stake in the company, suggesting major fixes like scrapping the use of Thrifty Ice Cream and revamping the menu. (File photo)



Farrell’s: However, he said the brand is “100 percent holding on to the nostalgia” it is known for. As such, specialty ice cream sundae desserts such as The Zoo and Pig Trough will remain on the revamped menu. “The history is important,” he said. (SAM GANGWER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)

Jan Avadilla tidies up Farrell’s in Buena Park’s new candy shop. Several employees are featured in “The Profit” airing on Aug. 23 on CNBC. The episode chronicles the transformation of Farrell’s in Buena Park with a revamped store with a candy store, new menu items. The restaurant was the target of a remodel. (ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)

Later that year, Marcus Lemonis, of CNBC’s “The Profit,” decided to rescue the brand. In the unscripted show, entrepreneur Lemonis coaches owners of troubled businesses – in exchange for a piece of their future profits. The Farrell’s episode finished filming in July 2016 and aired that August.

Lemonis found that the company was almost $2 million in debt, and the Rancho Cucamonga and Sacramento locations were operating in the red. He made a series of changes that included closing those two locations.

At the Riverside location, Farrell’s introduced a new menu after the show aired, including appetizers such as grilled cheese and tomato soup shots and a chicken Laredo sandwich with pepperjack cheese, as well as a pair of alcohol-infused desserts.

But Galluzzo — the shift supervisor in Riverside — said he started putting in applications at other restaurants in the general area after the Sacramento and Rancho Cucamonga closures.

Farrell’s financial spiral wasn’t over. Lemonis had to come to the rescue again early this year as the Buena Park location went deep into debt. He took ownership of the brand and temporarily closed the Buena Park store for a remodel, leaving the company with only two open restaurants, in Brea and Riverside.

Though the Riverside location is now closing, the Buena Park location is scheduled to reopen at 11 a.m. Aug. 5. From 6 to 8 p.m., the restaurant plans to celebrate the grand opening with activities, music and giveaways.

‘Really a shame’

Robin Woolsey, 62, a worker’s compensation judge in Riverside, was glad he and his wife, Tamra Woolsey, happened to stop in Saturday for an ice cream treat.

“This is really a shame (about the closure),” he said.

During the early 1970s, Woolsey said he worked as a cook and later a waiter at the Riverside Farrell’s – located in what was then called the Tyler Mall.

At that time, Woolsey was a political science undergraduate at UC Riverside and he said the restaurant was “a very fun place to work.”

“It’s so sad. I am really glad we came today (Saturday) before it closed,” Woosley said.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct that the Brea location has remained open, the Buena Park location is closed for a remodel but scheduled to reopen Aug. 5, and the Rancho Cucamonga location closed in January 2016.

Related:

Jan. 31, 2013: Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour grand opening in Riverside

Aug. 14: Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Rancho Cucamonga has closed

Aug. 24: ‘The Profit’ rescues Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour after debt reaches nearly $2 million

Aug. 28: After ‘The Profit’ visited Brea, what was new at the Riverside Farrell’s?

July 25: Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour sets reopening date for Buena Park restaurant

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