Wednesday marked the last day in the restaurant’s nearly 85 years of business

By Jacob Peterson

Jim Denny’s, a staple of the downtown Sacramento scene for over eight decades, closed its doors for the final time on Wednesday following an eviction from the landlord in April.

Restaurant owner N’Gina Guyton announced the closure via her Instagram on Tuesday, saying the eviction came after the landlord changed his mind on an agreement they had made in November 2023 for her to purchase the building. 

“We ended up having meetings and we would meet twice a month for coffee and were there for like two hours,” Guyton said. “And I had always asked him, ‘What is the number that you want to sell this restaurant for?’”

She said the landlord was unable to give a clear answer regarding a selling price, something that made it hard to find investors for the purchase. According to Guyton, they had come to a deal where her rent for the building would be deferred for the purchase, but, in April, she received the eviction notice.

“I tried to contact him and he refused to take any of my phone calls,” Guyton said. “I reached out to his real estate lawyer and said we had an agreement in regards to me being having first right of refusal, being able to buy the building and any rent that was due at that time would be tacked on to the purchase price, and the lawyer said, ‘Well, we’re not going to honor that and you’re evicted.’”

Guyton would take the matter to court, but the judge would rule in favor of her landlord. Guyton also denies the claim that the eviction was for delinquent rent.

“I started my business here in September of 2023 and now this is July of 2025,” Guyton said. “You’re not going to wait almost two years to kick a tenant out because they haven’t paid the rent. You’re not.”

Guyton also noted that while the last day was the busiest she’d seen at the restaurant, it was by no means a failing establishment, having done quite well since they reopened under her ownership.

“I mean, we were selling out once to twice a week where all our inventory is gone, the entire menu has been sold out,” Guyton mentioned. “Jim Denny’s was a thriving restaurant, it was a busy restaurant. We made great money and at the end of the day people were happy and we got accolades for what we did.”

One of these accolades included being included in the L.A. Times list of “101 Best California Restaurants”, and CapRadio’s “SacramenKnow” guide to Black-owned restaurants. Guyton said her situation is mirrored in several other small businesses in Sacramento, with new landlords and developers pushing out many of these small business owners from the urban core.

“You’re going to see downtown Sacramento turn into just basically chains,” Guyton reflected. “All the restaurants are going to be chains, all the retail spots are going to be chains. It’s not going to have any culture whatsoever.”

Guyton added that the Sacramento City Council was likewise part of the problem, with things like taxes, rent and parking prices making things exponentially harder for anyone trying to run a restaurant in the city.

“They don’t give a fuck about the culture of Sacramento, and what it was, and what it could be, and what the future of it looks like,” Guyton asserted. “I love the people of Sacramento. I don’t love the city of Sacramento.”

Neither Guyton’s landlord or his real estate lawyer could be reached for comment before publication.

Support from the people of Sacramento

For nearly four hours, starting at opening, the diner’s swan song summoned a line out the door that stretched across the sidewalk, with a mix of regulars and first-timers coming to say goodbye to the iconic restaurant. Karen Borsch said she had been coming to Jim-Denny’s since before Guyton owned it and was disappointed at the closure.

“They do great business, they do wonderful food, it just does not seem right,” Borsch pointed out. “I think that N’Gina’s wonderful and I wish her the best and support her wherever she goes.”

Also in line was Stephen and Lori Davis, who made the trip from Lodi to see the restaurant off. While Lori Davis said it was her first time at the diner, Stephen Davishad first been over 40 years ago before moving out of Sacramento.

“We heard about it and I figured it might be the only time we get to try it again,” Stephen said. “There’s some good memories here.”

David Gull, founder of Sacramento-based New Helvetia Brewing Company, also came to say goodbye to Guyton and the restaurant. Gull was frustrated by the closure, not because he does business with them but because he felt it was unfair to Guyton.

“N’Gina is one of the best humans on Earth and she does some of the best food and community work in Sacramento,” Gull stressed. “Even by doing everything right it’s so damn hard to run a successful business anywhere around here.”

Jillian Yong and Mac Dureza said they regretted not coming more before the closure, having only been there once before.

“It’s just sad because this is our second time and I remember coming the first time and thinking ‘this feels like home.” Yong said. “I’m just sad that it’s going to be gone after this.”

Even after food ran out, customers kept coming for drinks and to say goodby to Guyton and her staff.

The next step

Jim-Denny’s may be closing, but Guyton’s work as a restaurateur in Sacramento is far from over. She said that despite the current situation, plans are still on to open a new restaurant, a reboot of her previous establishment South, in April of 2026.

“It’s been a long time coming and I’m excited next April to reopen that restaurant,” Guyton explained. “A lot of sacrifices had to be made to be able to get there.” 

Guyton previously operated the popular Southside Park hub with her ex-husband before closing in June of 2022, and before taking over Jim-Denny’s in September of 2023. At that time, the restaurant had been closed since 2020.

More than anything, Guyton wanted to thank the customers who came out to support Jim-Denny’s.

“I just want to thank the people again, the people of Sacramento,” Guyton said. “Coming in every day and getting to share stories and talk with people and feed people, seeing regulars, I needed that.”