The iconic Los Angeles diner, a staple of Downtown LA culture, closed its doors on March 2, 2025, after 101 years in business. The restaurant’s closure is attributed to the Richard J. Riordan family trust, which claims that maximizing the value of the real estate was their primary reason for closing the institution.
The Original Pantry Cafe has been a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument since 1987, and its designation can delay demolition by up to one year. However, this does not guarantee preservation forever. The diner’s legacy is being mourned by employees, who felt blindsided by the closure and described the trust as only caring about money.
The union contract, which had been in place for nearly 50 years, was deemed “unacceptable” and “onerous” by the trust, and negotiations were shut down. Employees had voted to retain successorship, but the trust’s inability to meet their demands led to the closure. The restaurant’s air rights were sold in 1985 to limit development, and Mayor Riordan had stated that he wanted the diner to be preserved forever.
The loss of the Original Pantry Cafe is a significant blow to Los Angeles’ cultural heritage, and it remains to be seen whether the city will lose this historic institution forever.
Source: https://la.eater.com/2025/3/4/24377986/the-original-pantry-cafe-why-it-closed-los-angeles-2025