Cool Hand Luke's steakhouse closes

The third restaurant to occupy the same building on Olive Avenue in Merced has closed.

Cool Hand Luke's, a steakhouse that got its start in Clovis, closed because of stalled negotiations with the landlord, according to a spokeswoman with Dynaco, Inc. in Fresno, the parent company of the restaurant.

Before Cool Hand Luke's opened, a Chevys Fresh Mex Restaurant was in the building. It closed in May 2006. Cool Hand Luke's opened in July of that year.

Before the steakhouse opened, Red Lobster, a seafood restaurant, was in the same location in the late 1990s.

Cool Hand Luke's featured a Western theme, with country music playing in the background and rooms done with Western-type decor. Along with steaks, the eatery featured seafood, chicken, prime rib and appetizers.

The spokeswoman for Dynaco, Inc. said she couldn't provide any information about how long the restaurant would be closed, who the franchise owner was or whether it would reopen.

Reporter Carol Reiter can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or creiter@mercedsun-star.com.

This story was originally published August 5, 2010 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Cool Hand Luke's steakhouse closes."