Tearful last meals were served Sunday at the Original Pantry Café in downtown Los Angeles, where yearslong employees and devoted customers bid their goodbyes amid the restaurant’s anticipated closure.
After being in business for more than 100 years, the downtown staple is shutting down Sunday evening. The closure comes after a dispute between its owners and the union representing the employees. After they weren’t able to come to an agreement for a new contract, the eatery’s owners decided to shut it down.
It was a bittersweet day for workers who’ve serviced their clientele for years as they wonder what’s next for them. The usual menu staples were offered at the café but a sense of sadness was felt at the establishment as both customers and employees reflected on times at the restaurant.
Workers protested the potential closure of the Original Pantry Café, a century-old diner that’s been serving customers in downtown Los Angeles. Jonathan Gonzalez reports for the NBC4 News at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.
Monterey Park resident Wesley, who opted not to share his last name, said he felt compelled to have one last meal at the Pantry.
“This place is iconic, you know, it’s LA,” he said.
Wesley explained that he’d been dining at the Original Pantry since the late 60s, when his father would take him. As he grew up and began his own family, he made sure to take his daughter to the eatery.
“It is emotional just because it’s not going to be here tomorrow,” he said. “You talk to people in line and they all have stories… it really means a lot to them and that’s why there’s a line around the corner.”
The Original Pantry Café was once owned by former LA Mayor Richard Riordan. After he died in 2023, his trust took over and listed the diner for sale last August. It decided to close the restaurant amid a labor dispute with UNITE HERE Local 11.
The restaurant is closing for good at 5 p.m. Sunday.
