For most of a century, the Original Pantry Cafe at Figueroa and Ninth was known for having no door locks. It stayed open through the 1992 Los Angeles uprising and closed only a handful of times. Then the pandemic shut it temporarily, and when restrictions lifted it came back with fixed hours instead of staying open all night. On March 2, 2025, it closed altogether.
On Thursday, November 19, the Pantry reopens at 877 S. Figueroa St. Cole's, on Sixth Street, is following with incoming owners and an opening date that differs depending on which outlet you read. Both places closed because history alone did not bring in enough customers, so their new operators are changing how each one makes money. At the Pantry, that means a nonprofit partner. At Cole's, it means a bigger dinner menu.
The Pantry Comes Back as a Social Enterprise
The new owner is real estate entrepreneur Leo Pustilnikov, who bought the Pantry in September 2025, Eater LA reported. The bigger change is who runs it. The Pantry is reopening as a social enterprise of Hope the Mission, a nonprofit that serves unhoused people across Los Angeles. The restaurant's own site says every meal helps fund Hope's homelessness services. SFGate reported that the partnership is also meant to provide job training and support for people leaving homelessness.
The staff will include some familiar faces. Pustilnikov reached an agreement with Unite Here Local 11, the hospitality workers union, and some former Pantry employees are returning, according to Eater. Many of them worked at the counter for decades.
The Pantry's website describes the reopening in civic terms. It talks about a city "looking for ways to bring people back downtown" and says reopening "means bringing back jobs." Under this model, the old diner is also a jobs program and a funding source for a nonprofit, which gives it a purpose beyond its own sales.
What the Posted Hours Say
The website lists these hours:
- Sunday through Thursday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The posted schedule does not bring back the all-night counter. The Pantry had already dropped round-the-clock service after the pandemic, so these hours continue what the last version of the restaurant was doing, not a new cutback. The menu is still listed as "Coming Soon," and the About page promises "the same recipes and rhythms." An earlier Los Angeles Magazine report said ownership had considered updating the menu to reflect the city's multicultural food scene. Until the menu is posted, expect the familiar room and check the details closer to opening day. That means the ham steak and eggs, pancakes, fried potatoes, and crunchy coleslaw that drew lines on the final weekend in 2025.
Riordan's Tavern, the bar Richard Riordan opened next door in 2007, is not part of any reopening announcement so far.
Cole's Is Adding Dinner
Cole's opened in 1908 as Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet, selling carved-meat sandwiches to Red Car commuters, the Los Angeles Times reported. Its previous owner, Pouring With Heart, announced the closure in July 2025 and cited pandemic losses, the entertainment-industry strikes, and rising labor costs. Public support pushed the last day back several times, and the restaurant at 118 E. 6th St. finally closed on March 29, 2026.
The buyers are Jeremy Fall, who grew up downtown, and Sean Maloney, the former chief hospitality officer of Mozza Restaurant Group. As of the Times' October 20 story, they had not yet closed escrow. They have had the keys since early August and have been reworking the restaurant since then. Fall told the Times why the menu is growing:
"Preserving its history is the priority, but we also have to be mindful of being able to keep the doors open with menu expansion. People love history, but the reason it was closing is because people weren't going to Cole's."
The changes go further than the menu. The new head chef is Daniel Nguyen, formerly of Osteria Mozza and Lolo Wine Bar. He plans to serve fresh ravioli, prime rib frites, and salmon with trout roe alongside the sandwiches. The house French dip will use dry-brined prime rib and a 24-hour au jus, and there will be a pastrami version and a mushroom-and-onion vegan version. Clark Street Bread is testing a custom roll for the dips. The atomic mustard is coming back with a slightly tweaked recipe. The dining room will have white tablecloths, and the bar plans an au jus-washed martini. Maloney described the target as if New York's 4 Charles Prime Rib and Pastis and Hollywood's Musso and Frank Grill "had a child out of wedlock."
The pool tables are gone to make room for more seating and a player piano, and vintage tin ceiling tiles have gone up. The Mickey Cohen booth stays where it was. So do the plaques above the bathroom urinals, including the one declaring that Charles Bukowski relieved himself there. The back room that once held the Varnish cocktail bar will be used for private dining through the end of 2026. Fall and Maloney have not said what happens to it after that.
Two Opening Dates in Print
The opening timeline is unsettled. In the Times' October 20 story, Fall and Maloney said they hold a temporary liquor license and are waiting for full approval before they can close escrow. Their hope is to reopen in mid- to late November. Three days later, Eater LA's roundup gave a March 2027 reopening. The November date depends on the license and escrow, and Eater did not explain its later date. A November dinner at Cole's is possible but not certain.
Clifton's Is Further Behind
Clifton's, at 648 S. Broadway, has no publicly named operator, no announced concept, and no date. Clifton's Cafeteria opened at the Broadway location in 1935 after an earlier location opened in 1931. The building was sold to Robhana Group in 2022, and Clifton's Republic closed in 2025. In April 2026, the Los Angeles Times reported that former operator Andrew Meieran had given up on reopening. The building owner was looking for a new tenant, and Meieran still controlled the Clifton's name. Around the same time, DTLA Weekly reported that Robhana Group was taking over the liquor license, looking for an operator, and considering a concept called "Metropolis."
Eater's October 23 roundup says new operators have announced plans to resume operations, but it does not name them or give a date. As of the April reports, the Clifton's name and the Broadway building were controlled by different parties. That is one more thing a reopening has to work out.
Where Each Landmark Stands
| The Original Pantry Cafe | Cole's | Clifton's | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address | 877 S. Figueroa St. | 118 E. 6th St. | 648 S. Broadway |
| First opened | 1924 | 1908 | 1935 at Broadway |
| Closed | March 2, 2025 | March 29, 2026 | 2025 |
| New operator | Hope the Mission, owner Leo Pustilnikov | Jeremy Fall and Sean Maloney, escrow pending | Reported but not named |
| What's new | Nonprofit social enterprise, union agreement, posted day and evening hours | Expanded menu, white tablecloths, player piano, new chef | Concept not confirmed |
| Reopening | November 19, 2026 | Mid- to late November per the Times, March 2027 per Eater | No date announced |
Downtown's Other Food Changes This Year
The legacy reopenings are happening while newer places come and go around them. At Grand Central Market, the Fat + Flour stall closed on May 24 after seven years, and Cinnies was announced to take its place at 317 S. Broadway with a June 4 opening, according to Eater LA. Eater reported in September that Rossoblu, at 1124 San Julian St., had been sold and was scheduled to close on Sunday, November 1. Eater's Pantry story also noted that restaurant closures have continued at a steady pace through 2026. With closures still coming, a landmark that just goes back to its old formula is betting on the same conditions that closed it.
November 19 on the Calendar
The Pantry's reopening falls on the same evening as the start of downtown's holiday season. Pershing Square's Holiday Ice Rink holds its opening celebration and tree lighting that night from 5 to 7 p.m. at 532 S. Olive St. The event includes performances, complimentary treats and beverages, and the first skating of the season. One way to plan the evening:
- Arrive at the Pantry, 877 S. Figueroa St., before 9 p.m., the posted weeknight closing time for a Thursday.
- Walk to Pershing Square at 532 S. Olive St. for the 5 to 7 p.m. tree lighting.
- If Cole's meets the earlier of its two reported dates, check whether 118 E. 6th St. is open for a French dip later in the month.
If you own a home downtown and want to talk through how changes like these affect your building and your block, Aymi Lau is happy to have a confidential conversation, with the same care for history and detail these reopenings are getting.
