After almost 140 years of serving comfort food to locals, politicians and celebrities, Los Angeles County’s oldest restaurant is closing its doors this weekend.
The Original Saugus Cafe, which was established in 1886, announced on its Facebook page that it will be closing its doors on Sunday, Jan. 4.
“This decision was not made lightly, and it comes with heartfelt appreciation for everyone who walked through our doors, supported our staff, and made this cafe what it was,” read the statement, which was posted on Dec. 29. The post’s tagline read “Thank you, Santa Clarita for all of your support! 1886-2026.”
No reason was given for the closure and calls to the restaurant were not answered.
Located at 25861 Railroad Ave. in Santa Clarita, the cafe was founded during the construction of the Saugus train station by James Herbert Tolfree. It was originally named the Saugus Eating House.
Due to its location on what was then a major transit hub and filming spot for Hollywood, the cafe served presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt, who reportedly had a steak there in 1903, as well as movie stars like Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford.
As of today the cafe still has that old diner feel with bar seating, green booths and a menu that includes hefty breakfast and steak dishes.
“For 139 years, Saugus Cafe has been more than just a restaurant it has been a place where memories were made, stories shared, and generations came together. We are truly honored to have served the community for so long,” the Facebook post stated.
The news comes after the announcement of the closures of other Los Angeles landmark restaurants like Cole’s French Dip, which announced in the summer that it would close on Aug. 3 after 117 years in business. However after news of the impending closure spread, people began lining up to eat at the downtown restaurant and bar and the closure has been extended a couple of times since then. Cole’s Instagram page currently states that the restaurant will be open through January.
Other long running restaurants have also faced hard times but have managed to later survive. In early 2025, The Pantry, which opened in downtown Los Angeles in 1924, abruptly shut down. But after it was purchased by real estate entrepreneur Leo Pustilnikov, it was announced in September that the Pantry will eventually reopen again.