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By Paul Levikow
August 13, 2025 (El Cajon) – The Palms Restaurant and Banquet Hall on Main Street was determined to be in violation of its Conditional Use Permit Tuesday by the El Cajon City Council and ordered to close by Oct. 1, unless it is granted a new CUP at next week’s Planning Commission meeting.
The Planning Commission revoked The Palms’ CUP at its June meeting. The business owners appealed the ruling, which was denied by the City Council on a 4-1 vote. Rather than require the business to close immediately, the Council voted to allow it to stay open until Oct. 1. Mayor Bill Wells voted no.
The permit was originally granted to the business on the condition that it operate primarily as a restaurant with only occasional use as a banquet hall. The business was notified in December 2023 by city staff that it was not in compliance. City staff and the Planning Commission have been working with ownership since then to ensure compliance. Several site checks by the city on different days and at different hours did not show evidence that the business was primarily a restaurant, but rather a private event space or closed.
Ramon Mansour told the City Council that he and his brother Jeff are in escrow to buy the business and he considers it as primarily a restaurant.
“We own multiple businesses in El Cajon, we’ve been in El Cajon practically our entire life,” Mansour said. “We love the city and it’s not our first restaurant concept. We think we can succeed.”
Councilmember Michelle Metschel expressed skepticism.
“We don’t need another banquet hall in downtown El Cajon, this will make four,” she said. “We wanted a restaurant.”
Metschel told Mansour that he really does not want a restaurant.
“I have a menu here that I picked up. This, I’m sorry, I mean no disrespect, but this is not a menu for a restaurant,” she said. “This is not a menu that I could order from.”
“We have heard a lot of promises,” Metschel said. So, you can see why we are a little hesitant to believe that someone else is going to come in and do what we wanted originally.”
The City Council found that the operation of the use as a restaurant during normal retail business hours and evenings was necessary to promote an active retail corridor in the
“You’ve got a family that’s ready and willing to better downtown El Cajon and that’s what we want to do,” Mansour said. “Like I said, it’s with your blessing.”
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Not in compliance...