La Perla, the classic Mexican restaurant located in downtown Glendale, is closed after the landlord failed to pay rent for an extended period of time.

The doors to the restaurant have been locked since January 28, and the attorney for  Bascom Hill Development Co. Inc., which owns the building, told the Arizona Republic that La Perla owner Joseph Pompa hasn't paid rent for "a couple of years." Under Arizona law, a landlord can sell everything inside the building at auction after 60 days if unpaid charges aren't paid. 

The restaurant, which is located at 5912 West Glendale Avenue, opened in 1946 and is as known for its brightly colored interior and kitsch-covered walls as for its menu of simple Mexican cuisine. Its specialties include chicken mole, steak Veracruz, and machaca tacos