END OF AN ERA- Hudson's Grille in the Sycamore Village Plaza served up '50s-era diner food since 1986. The once-popular eatery on Cochran Street locked its doors last month. Owner Davis Beckham attributes the closure to rising food and labor costs and increased competition from new restaurants in the area. Jan Glasband, artistic director of Actors' Repertory Theatre in Simi Valley, was among those expressing dismay over the sudden closure. "We would go there all the time after the show. We would call ahead and then bring over 35 people. Hudson's would stay open after hours to accommodate us." When longtime patrons showed up last month to grab a bite to eat at Hudson's Grill on Cochran Street, they discovered the doors locked and the shutters drawn.

All that was left for them at the once-rockin' Simi Valley restaurant was a hand-written note thanking them for 20 years of business.

Residents like Vic Germano and his wife, Karen, who were steady customers, were sad to see the local eatery had closed, especially without warning and without explanation.

"We go there all the time and were really surprised to see it had closed," Vic Germano said.

Davis Beckham opened Hudson's in Simi Valley in 1986. The Texas native was the righthand man of Hudson's Grill founder and fellow Texan, Travis Bryant.

"Travis was a great guy and had a vision for a chain of restaurants in smaller markets," Beckham said. "Hudson's was a cross between a '50s hangout and a Chili's."

Beckham, 52, came to California originally to find suitable locations to start the franchise. Eventually, he bought the Simi Valley eatery outright and settled in Moorpark; his daughter Michelle, 15, is a sophomore at Moorpark High School.

Hudson's specialized in burgers, fries, malts and milk shakes, just like the corner drugstore of bygone days. The nostalgic atmosphere was enhanced by rock 'n' roll music played on an old-fashioned Wurlitzer juke box.

The hallmark of each restaurant is the front end of a Hudson automobile bursting through one of the dining walls.

"During the earthquake in '94 everything was on the floor except the Hudson grill on the wall," Beckham said.

After the earthquake, the restaurant was one of the first to reopen, Beckham said, crediting his loyal employees. "They all showed up and

pitched in. We boiled water and barbecued outside," Beckham said. "Getting things back to normal for our customers was important to us."

Beckman has many memories of the good times at the grill. St. Patrick's Day was a special event: Beckham even flew in a singer from Ireland for the occasion.

"We took good care of our customers, always had their favorite drink waiting," Beckham said. "We were known for our service."

In Simi Valley, Hudson's was the place to go for local theater groups after an evening performance. With their greasepaint off and the spotlight dark, the cast and crew of the Actors' Repertory Theatre would make a beeline for the restaurant.

"We would go there all the time after the show. We would call ahead and then bring over 35 people," said Jan Glasband, artistic director of the group. "Hudson's would stay open after hours to accommodate us. We gave them a lot of business."

Unfortunately, the good times didn't go on forever. Beckham cited rising costs and new restaurant openings in the new Simi Valley Town Center as contributing to his business's downfall.

"It became harder to make ends meet with labor costs going up, the price of protein-based foods, and gas prices for deliveries," Beckham said. "We can only raise menu prices so much before people say enough is enough."

Red's BBQ was a neighbor of Hudson's Grill in the Sycamore Village Plaza. General manager Chris Colgan knows how tough the restaurant business can be.

"We had a friendly rivalry and we were longtime neighbors," Colgan said. "Within the last two years new restaurants have opened like 'The Island' and 'Cronies' that cater to the same crowd, so it probably hurt his bar business."

Realtor and landlord of the plaza, Tom Mackel, shared Colgan's observation.

"With all the new eating places opening, people are unhappy. It

took away a lot of business," Mackel said. "Our whole center has changed with the mall opening and there's only so many dollars. Some people are going to be victims of the times."

Perhaps it was the nostalgic rock 'n' roll or the place where "everybody knows your name" that caused local residents to walk up to the closed door and shake their heads. Whatever the reason, Hudson's Grill will be missed.

The Germanos even had a booth they called "our spot." On the wall nearby was a photo of their daughter, Amy, who died from cancer in 1999.

The Simi Valley High School graduate had posed for the photo with the restaurant's signature Hudson car grill in the background. Germano slid a note under the door asking Beckham for the return of his daughter's photo.

"I found the note and returned the photo," Beckham said. "We got very close to our customers and it was touching having his daughter's photo above the booth."