Downtown Los Angeles lost another iconic eatery on Sunday with the closure of its original pantry cafe, which has been serving hot coffee, burgers and breakfast platters since 1924.
News of the planned closure sparked active business as they sought a farewell meal at a diner on the corner of 9th Figueroa Street.
The shutter itself was bitter. After the doors closed, the remaining 25 workers from the diner gathered inside to receive a Manila envelope containing the final check and refused to leave with support from the union.
“It’s still open from their perspective,” said Kurt Petersen, co-chairman of the unit here, who said Petersen had represented diner workers for decades. “They told management they wanted them to change their minds.”
The restaurant built a Los Angeles heritage rather than an elegant fare (Yelp had a mediocre rating of 3.7), but with its 24-hour service it became a heaven for Night Owls and early Risers.
The diner survived past threats. He dodged highway projects in the 1950s and moved around to give way to off-ramps. Former mayor Richard Riordan took over the restaurant in 1981 as part of a major land deal.
“When I fell in love with the pantry, I was eating breakfast, I had coffee, and I had a book I was reading,” Riordan was quoted as saying in the era. “I was very relaxed and the waiter came over and said, ‘If you want to read, the library is the fifth hope.’ At the time I fell in love with it. ”
However, the quarantine policy during the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a major blow and has been forced to limit time to diners. Despite a $1.7 million federal loan (all except $500,000 will be allowed) to maintain 82 jobs at the restaurant, workers said only about 20 employees remained due to the Sunday closure.
A proposed class action lawsuit was filed in April 2023 on behalf of pantry workers claiming unpaid wages for overtime, breaks and meal breaks, according to Los Angeles court records. Two weeks later, Riordan passed away. The filing shows that the wage lawsuit remains in settlement talks, just like in February.
The ownership of the diner was transferred to Riordan’s trust. This said they tried to sell their assets to support their philanthropy. The union sought to negotiate terms that required the new owner to respect the existing contract. That did not happen, and the union filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Commission.
Attorney Carl McKinzie, the chief executive of the trust company that runs the pantry, declined to comment on Sunday. He introduced reporters to the long prepared statement given to the media earlier in the week that sales talks have been underway since last summer.
After the diner doors were closed on Sunday, the trust representatives arrived and tried to distribute envelopes containing their final payroll. When the workers didn’t step up to take them, she placed them on the table.
“They placed the envelope on the table and left their backs,” said the table server, who gave only Alex, his name. He said he was employed at a diner for 24 years. “Thank you. She doesn’t say anything.”
When workers tried to fall behind, management called LA police and informed them that officers finally arrived and faced a trespassing charge if the employee was still there. The pantry workers left without any problems, but union Petersen remained and was quoted, a union representative said.
Alex wasn’t sure what would happen next week. Union officials said they don’t know if the wing already has a new owner.
The pantry’s online ordering service remained open on Sundays. The Times Reporter was able to place a takeout order for the first French toast on Wednesday.
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