Original Pantry Cafe facts for kids

Pantry Cafe in downtown Los Angeles (USA)

The Original Pantry Cafe is a famous restaurant in Los Angeles, California. People often call it "The Pantry." It's known for being open almost all the time since it started in 1924. The restaurant claims it has never closed or been without a customer. This includes when it moved locations in 1950. It served lunch at the old spot and dinner at the new one on the same day!

The first owner, Dewey Logan, was known for serving everyone. He would even serve customers who didn't have enough money. The restaurant did close briefly once. Health inspectors ordered it to close on November 26, 1997. But it reopened the very next day. Today, the restaurant is owned by Richard Riordan. He used to be the Mayor of Los Angeles. Many famous people and important leaders have eaten here.

History of The Pantry

The Original Pantry Cafe first opened in 1924. Its first location was at 9th Street and Francisco Street. Back then, it was a small place. It had just one room with a counter and 15 stools. There was also a small grill, a hot plate, and a sink.

In 1950, The Pantry moved to its current spot. This is at 9th and Figueroa. Since then, it has become a very special place in Los Angeles. It is now a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. This means it's an important historical building. Many people say it's the most famous restaurant in Los Angeles.

The restaurant is famous for serving coleslaw to everyone in the evening. This happens even if they order breakfast! The Pantry also serves a lot of food. It claims to serve about 90 tons of bread each year. That's like 461 loaves every single day! They also serve about 10.5 tons of coffee per year. That's a lot of coffee beans!

For many years, The Pantry gave out free coffee. This tradition lasted for 87 years. But in 2011, they stopped offering free coffee. Part of the building on Figueroa Street is now Riordan's Tavern. It is also owned by Richard Riordan, the former mayor.

A Pancake Tradition Story

In 2014, The Original Pantry Cafe celebrated its 90th birthday. To mark the occasion, people shared their favorite stories about the restaurant. One winning story was called "A Pancake Tradition" by Devin Kelley. A sign with this story can be found at the restaurant's entrance.

The story is about a Sunday brunch tradition. A person and their grandma are waiting in a long line. The grandma has been coming to The Pantry since she was nine. Her parents would bring her after church every Sunday. She always ordered the same thing: pancakes and a large orange juice. Even though she looked at the menu, she never changed her order.

The grandma taught this tradition to her grandchild. The grandchild also always ordered the pancakes. They both loved the soft pancakes with syrup and butter. The story describes the smell of buttery bread and bacon.

One day, two tall men tried to cut in line. The grandma bravely told them to go to the back of the line. She explained that she and her grandson had been waiting for their pancakes. One of the men recognized the restaurant. He said his own grandma used to bring him there. He then took his friend to the back of the line. The grandma smiled, happy that their tradition was respected.

Fun Facts About The Pantry

The people who work at The Pantry are known for their style. The waiters and even the cook used to wear very neat white shirts. They also wore black bow ties.

There's a rumor that The Pantry used to hire men who had recently been released from jail. The idea was to help them get jobs and get back into society. However, there is no proof that this was true.

For many years, a waiter worked at The Pantry who looked just like the actor Humphrey Bogart. Regular customers called him "Bogie."