Protesters gathered outside a century-old meal in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday after the owners announced the possibility of closing next month.
Workers worried about their livelihoods marched outside the original pantry cafe following the announcement. They were notified of a potential closure as Unite Here Local 11, a union representing its employees, to negotiate a new contract with the restaurant management.
“It was shocking,” said Marisela Granados, a former pantry cafe worker. “I didn’t know what to do or say.”
Requests sought by the union include job safety and ongoing representation if the restaurant changes ownership. The union responded, saying the owners would instead close.
“I didn’t know what to do or what to say, do you know?” Granados said. “You know, as I told the client, this is my second family It’s like that.”
For decades, the original pantry cafe was owned by former Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan. Following his death in 2023, Richard J. Riordan Trust listed restaurants for sale last August. The trust did not confirm the threat of closing the restaurant, but provided the following statement:
“Local 11 has presented two negotiation requests that make it nearly impossible to sell the property, in the pantry’s view. The union notifies that the property has been for sale since August 2024. I am sad that managing the pantry depends on disrupting the ability of customers to eat in the pantry instead of having a responsible collective bargaining position. Today.”
The demonstration lasted about an hour and the restaurant remained open during the protest.
The owner said that workers’ jobs can only be protected if the new owner maintains the business as a restaurant.
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