After eight months of extensions, lines of fans and negotiations to find a new buyer, one of L.A.’s oldest and most famous restaurants is set to close this weekend with a celebration. Cole’s, the city’s longest-running public house and alleged creator of the French dip sandwich, will shut its doors March 29.
“We delayed the closure because we got such a great, big response of people coming out to support the restaurant, which we really appreciate,” said Cedd Moses, the founder of Pouring with Heart hospitality group. “But then business started receding again, so now at this point, we’re forced to close. We just can’t keep the doors open and keep hemorrhaging money.”
Last July, Pouring with Heart, the owner of Cole’s since 2008, announced an early August closure for the downtown institution. This was then extended into September, which extended again through the end of 2025. In the last days of the year the group announced the restaurant and bar would run through January, but continued into March. The team delayed closing as they attempted to find a new buyer who would continue the legacy of historically designated Cole’s — and not simply open a new concept within the dark, moody space…