After 117 years in business, the city’s oldest restaurant and bar — which has a history that harkens back to well before Prohibition — is closing its doors this summer.
Cole’s French Dip, one of two historic L.A. restaurants that claim to have invented the French Dip sandwich, will be shuttering its doors on Aug. 3, according to Pouring With Heart, the Los Angeles -ounded company that runs the downtown staple.
“The litany of reasons for closing are not unique to Cole’s alone; they are affecting most independent restaurants in Los Angeles. The global pandemic, the actors and writers strikes, overall crime, as well as the consistently rising costs of labor and goods, unsustainably high rents and mounting bureaucracy and legal exposure have all led to this unfortunate outcome,” read a statement emailed to the Southern California News Group and attributed to Pouring with Heart founder Cedd Moses and his staff.
Located in downtown’s Historic Core at 118 E. Sixth St., in the Pacific Electric Building, Cole’s was founded by Henry Cole in 1908 and in 1974 it was dedicated as a city Historic-Cultural Landmark. Cole’s claim to fame is inventing the French dip sandwich, which nearby establishment Philippe The Original has also claimed.
Regardless, Cole’s is known as a place deeply rooted in the fabric of the city and saw a rebirth when it was purchased by Moses and underwent a $1.6 million renovation that brought it back to its 1908 state, with original glass lighting and restored penny-tile floors plus a 40-foot mahogany bar adorned with old photos that depict the history of Cole’s and Los Angeles.
The closing of Cole’s follows the shuttering of other historic spots in the city like The Original Pantry Cafe, which closed in March after 101 years of service,
In his statement Moses urged Angelinos to come in for one last French dip and maybe a drink or two.
“We have cherished our time serving the Downtown community, and will continue to craft great drinks and our renowned French dip sandwiches until we shutter. We care deeply about our family of staff and are immensely grateful for our amazing guests who have supported Cole’s over the years. We invite you to come in to see us this month before our departure, to laugh, to cry, to raise glasses, to eat, and to say your goodbyes right alongside us,” the statement read.