The Sycamore Kitchen, the bakery-cafe at 143 S. La Brea Avenue known for its salted caramel pecan babka and sunny outdoor patio, is closing permanently after more than a decade serving the neighborhood. Chef-owners Karen and Quinn Hatfield opened the spot in 2012, and its shutdown this week marks the end of a 15-year chapter for the cafe, which opened six years after their first joint project.
The restaurant announced the closure on social media, thanking the community and staff for 15 years of support, according to WhatNow. In its announcement, the cafe said, “After 15 incredible years, it’s time for us to say goodbye,” and added that it is closing its doors at this location while looking forward to what comes next. The post offered no timeline or details, only a hint that something new could eventually take its place, with the team writing that they are looking forward to what’s next and telling followers to stay tuned.
A Casual Spinoff From a Michelin-Starred Partnership
Karen and Quinn Hatfield are no strangers to the Los Angeles dining scene. The pair opened their first joint project, Hatfield’s, in 2006, a restaurant that earned a Michelin star before the couple expanded their footprint with The Sycamore Kitchen six years later, per the same account from WhatNow. Back when their La Brea project was first announced, the Los Angeles Times described the duo simply as the team behind Hatfield’s on Melrose Avenue, a sign of how far their partnership had already come by the time The Sycamore Kitchen opened its doors.
The Sycamore Kitchen was designed as a more casual counterpart to that earlier, fine-dining project, built around high-quality baked goods, coffee and approachable food rather than a formal tasting menu. Its official site describes the cafe’s coffee program with Stumptown Coffee Roasters alongside pastries like its signature Salted Caramel Pecan Babka, cookies and cakes. The breakfast and brunch menu rounded things out with pork belly hash, chilaquiles, eggs Benedict and breakfast sandwiches, while lunch brought seasonal salads and sandwiches on house-baked bread.
A Neighborhood Hangout Built Into a Former Print Shop
Part of the cafe’s charm came from its space itself. The interior leaned on exposed brick and design details that recalled the building’s past life as a 1950s print shop, according to the restaurant’s own site. Over the years, that setting combined with generous outdoor seating to help The Sycamore Kitchen become known for its laid-back, neighborhood-cafe atmosphere rather than a typical quick-service bakery vibe.
That reputation is reflected in how fans reacted to the closing news. One customer said they moved to the neighborhood specifically so they could walk to The Sycamore Kitchen for lunch every weekend, calling its closure heartbreaking. Another commenter on Instagram said their children were raised on the cafe’s sticky pecan bun, a small but telling detail of how the bakery wove itself into regulars’ routines over a decade and a half.
The Hatfields have said they are looking forward to what comes next.
