Original Pantry Cafe

The Original Pantry Cafe is a coffee shop and restaurant in Los Angeles, California, it is located at the corner of 9th and Figueroa in Downtown L.A.'s South Park district. The Pantry (as it is known by locals) claimed to never have closed or been without a customer since it opened including when it changed locations in 1950 to make room for a freeway off-ramp; it served lunch in the original location and served dinner at the new location the same day. This claim is also attributed to the fact that the first owner, Dewey Logan, never refused a customer even if the customer was short on money. It was, however, closed briefly at the order of health inspectors on November 26, 1997, and reopened the next day. That tradition ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in California, and the restaurant had since been open from 7 am to 3 pm on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on weekends. The restaurant was owned by former Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan and served many celebrities and politicians. After 101 years in operation, the restaurant closed on March 2, 2025, as a result of a labor dispute while the business property was being sold or liquidated. It was set to reopen on December 31, 2025, after an agreement between the restaurant's new owner and the labor union representing its workers. After missing their original re-opening date for unstated reasons, the new owner announced a new opening date target of April 2026. After missing the second opening date of April 1, 2026 for unstated reasons, the new owner announced a new opening "in May" and further stated that customers would find "new floors and new menu items" which would try to reflect a "multicultural city with such a diverse food scene." The restaurant did not reopen. On October 22, 2026, SFGate reported that a new opening date was set for November 19, 2026.