Iconic Downtown Diner Closes Its Doors After a Century of Service
A landmark L.A. institution served its final plates of hash browns and eggs on Sunday, bringing an end to a century-long legacy. The Original Pantry, the downtown diner that proudly claimed to have never locked its doors or gone without a customer for most of its existence, has closed its kitchen for good.As Patch reports, the restaurant, which opened in 1924, shuttered amid a labor dispute between new ownership and the union representing its employees. The closure came just months after the diner was listed for sale following the 2023 death of former owner and L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan, whose trust had taken over operations.On its final day, customers lined the sidewalk for hours, waiting for one more chance to sit at the worn counters of the South Figueroa staple that relocated in 1950 to make way for freeway construction but never lost its mid-century character."This place is iconic, you know, it's L.A.," Monterey Park resident Wesley told NBC4, choosing not to share his last name. "It is emotional just because it's not going to be here tomorrow. 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 diner that served free coffee and weathered every major event from the Great Depression to WWII, from the L.A. riots to the pandemic, ended its run on a contentious note. After closing time on Sunday, about two dozen workers remained inside, prompting ownership to call police to the scene. ABC7 reported that the union president was handcuffed during the confrontation."They just decided to call the police on us, and escort us out," employee Maricela Granados said.The Original Pantry had been a rare constant in a city known for constant change, serving generations of Angelenos at all hours, from late-night revelers to early morning workers, in a space that felt frozen in time—right down to its cash-only policy and simple, hearty menu that hardly changed through the decades.
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Attendance was unusually low and many school bus stops were eerily quiet during the last two days of school in her classroom on June 9 and 10, she said. "I try to pretend everything's normal when everything's falling apart outside of the school," she said. Her six-year-old son, who attends the same school where she teaches, found about about the immigration raids through friends and told her, 'Mom, I'm glad you have papers so they can't take you.' Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Carvlaho said in a statement on June 6 that he is "dismayed" by the recent immigration enforcement activity occurring near district schools. "These actions are causing unnecessary fear, confusion, and trauma for our students and families – many of whom are simply trying to get to and from school and work, and to live with dignity," Carvalho said. 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Enriquez, from Palms Middle School, told students and their families at the commencement ceremony to use the momentum of graduation as an opportunity to stand up to what he called "injustice" against their community. "Be empowered. Injustices exist in the world," he said. "Speak up. Stand up against any injustice anywhere." Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@ Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.
