The Original Pantry Cafe to close after 100 years in service, union says

LOS ANGELES - Union workers at a beloved diner in downtown Los Angeles reportedly learned of the restaurant's fate on Wednesday night. 

The Original Pantry Cafe, which has been a staple for over 100 years, is set to close on Sunday, March 2. 

What we know:

Last week, union members and employees held a protest outside the Original Pantry Cafe, located in the 800 block of S. Figueroa Street, to fight for the future of the restaurant. 

The diner was previously owned by former LA Mayor Richard Riordan and was placed in a trust following his death in 2023. 

UNITE HERE Local 11 representatives said they met with the Riordan Trust and that the trust intends to close the restaurant as scheduled on Sunday, March 2 at 5 p.m. 

"The Pantry is demanding that, in order to avoid the closure and loss of workers' jobs, workers must give up their demand for job security and continued union representation if the restaurant changes hands," a UNITE HERE Local 11 press release said. 

On Thursday, dozens of community members held a dine-in to support the diner's employees. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 

• Original Pantry Cafe employees protest possible closure
• LA’s Original Pantry Cafe celebrates 100 years

What we don't know:

It's unknown if employees are willing to cut their union ties to preserve their jobs. 

Employees that spoke to FOX 11's Gina Silva explained their workplace is more than just a job – it's a family. 

The other side:

In a statement to FOX 11, The Original Pantry said that employees and the union have known since last summer that the property would likely be sold and the restaurant would likely be closed. 

According to the Riordin estate, the union, seeking to renegotiate the labor contract, demanded that any future owner of the property operate a restaurant there, accept the labor contract without renegotiation, retain all employees and go through an extensive process to change any of the restaurant's operations. The estate called these demands "totally unacceptable," because they would hurt the estate's ability to find a buyer.

"Per the Mayor’s expressed wishes and legal requirements, the estate must maximize the value received by his estate’s largest beneficiary, The Riordan Foundation," the estate's statement read. The estate said that selling the property is the best way to do that.

"It was the Mayor’s desire, and is the legal obligation of his estate, to ensure that the Foundation has the maximum resources to help our entire community, not simply to benefit the several dozen current employees of the Pantry," the statement continued.

What's next:

Community members are scheduled to gather and pray outside the diner on Ash Wednesday on March 5 between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.