After 101 years of service, the legendary restaurant, The Original Pantry located on
Figueroa Street and James Wood Boulevard in downtown LA closed their doors on Sunday
March 2, 2025. Leaving tradition and a century of fresh food and great service, the beloved
restaurant is no more.
Despite everyone’s efforts to save The Pantry, the restaurant will remain closed forever.
The line reached around the block on Sunday, loyal customers waiting up to four hours to eat for
one last time.
The restaurant previously was owned by former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan,
and it was placed in a trust after his death in 2023. After his death, the workers joined a UnionLocal 11 which represents the restaurant employees. They joined the union to be protected in the
case that the restaurant would be sold, this news was ongoing for months before the workers
knew who bought the Diner.
The restaurant was closed due to this becoming a dispute between the unionized workers
and the Richard Riordan Trust. Which is the former mayor’s family trust, they had other plans
such as destroying it and turning it into apartments. The trust gave the employees an ultimatum,
either they walk away from the restaurant or it closes forever.
Among many loyal customers, Bernardo Vazquez, a customer since 1994 says, “When I
first came to this country from Mexico, my dad brought me to this diner. I’ve been going since I
was a little kid, and I brought my kids to The Pantry for most of their childhood as well.” Many
similar customers have come to this restaurant for many generations, and are heartbroken over
the loss of their childhood diner.
On the workers’ last day, they refused to leave until the last table was served. This did not
please the owner, causing him to threaten the workers to leave. His attempts failed, causing the
owner to call the police and escort the employees out of the diner. Union 11 stood outside
protesting, which caused more anger from the owner. The employees rallied for their diner,
calling this last memory of the restaurant cruel and cold blooded. According to CBS news.
Alex, a worker from the Pantry worked the Friday before the close. Alex said “I don’t
want to give you guys your last check, knowing it’ll be the last time I see you guys. The Fund
did not care about the service or the clientele we have earned over the years.”
Customers who have gone to the Original Pantry for years and decades are devastated
over this loss. 102 years of history and the best whipped pancakes, according to yelp, a place full
of memories will be demolished for what people assume will be apartments.
Araceli Vazquez began going to The Pantry in 2006, she believes that the whole thing is
incredibly wrong. “It is so saddening to see how the Fund cared more about money than people,
traditions that have lived for years just gone in an instant.” Said Vazquez