Bacon sizzling on the grill, heavy mugs clattering onto tables and thick planks of buttered sourdough toast. That is the soundtrack of the Original Pantry Cafe, and it is about to come back to downtown Los Angeles. The historic diner reopens Nov. 19 after a closure of more than a year and a half.
The twist is who is bringing it back. The new owner, developer Leo Pustilnikov, had never eaten there before, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
“I Thought It Was An L.A. Institution”: The Owner Who Never Ate There
Founded in 1924, the Pantry began with five employees and a hot plate. It grew into a downtown destination famous for staying open 24/7 and serving huge portions to everyone from visiting luminaries, including civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., to countless Angelenos.
It closed abruptly in March 2025 after pandemic-driven hardships and an ongoing labor dispute. Pustilnikov, whose portfolio includes the PacMutual complex, the former Sears building in Boyle Heights and South Pasadena’s Rialto Theater, heard about the closure and started to wonder whether it could be his next investment…