After over a century as a fixture of the Los Angeles dining scene, The Original Pantry Cafe shut its doors on Sunday, a casualty of a labor dispute and changing ownership, ABC7 and other sources report. The closure of this downtown L.A. landmark, founded in 1924 and known for its hearty breakfasts and classic diner ambiance, left both employees and longtime patrons grappling with the end of an era.
Ownership of The Original Pantry Cafe passed to the Riordan Trust following the death of former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan in 2023, with the trust later signaling its intent to sell the property, NBC Los Angeles reported. The ensuing labor dispute between the owners and UNITE HERE Local 11, representing the restaurant employees, reached an impasse when terms for job security and union representation in the event of a sale could not be agreed upon, as detailed by FOX 11.
Despite protracted negotiations and public demonstrations to keep the restaurant open, the diner served its final meals to lines of customers extending around the block, with some sharing nostalgic stories of their long-standing relationship with the establishment, KTLA captured. As patrons queued for hours, employees like Marisela Granados, who spent 26 years at The Pantry, found it a "heartbreaking" scene.
What followed the closure was tension-filled, with 25 workers lingering past the restaurant's final service in protest, while The Riordan Trust responded by calling the police to escort them out. The union president was briefly handcuffed and detained. Though the public support has been "overwhelming," according to ABC7, such gestures provide little solace to those wondering whether the doors will open again, the public outcry and support materials little in the way of concrete solutions for the displaced workers.
The trust, which listed the diner for sale in August of the previous year, claimed adherence to Mayor Riordan's wishes and legal obligations to maximize returns to The Riordan Foundation, as CBS News Los Angeles reported.
