Protesters gathered outside a century-old diner in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday after its owners announced the possibility of closing next month.
Workers concerned about their livelihoods marched outside the Original Pantry Café in wake of the announcement. They were notified about the potential closure as the UNITE HERE Local 11, the union representing the employees, bargains for a new contract with the restaurant’s management.
“It was shocking,” Maricela Granados, a worker at the Original Pantry Café said. “I didn’t know what to do or what to say.”
The demands sought by the union include job security and continued representation if the restaurant changes owners. The union said in response, the owners said they would close instead.
“I didn’t know what to do or what to say, you know? It’s like I’ve been here 26 years,” Granados said. “You know, like I told my customers, this is like a second family to me.”
For decades, the Original Pantry Cafe was owned by former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan. Following his death in 2023, the Richard J. Riordan Trust listed the restaurant for sale last August. The trust did not confirm the threat of closing the eatery, but provided the following statement:
“Local 11 has presented two bargaining demands that would make it nearly impossible, in The Pantry’s view, to sell the property. The Union has been on notice that the property has been up for sale since August 2024. The Pantry management finds it sad that, instead of having responsible collective bargaining positions, Local 11 is instead bent on disrupting our customers’ ability to eat at The Pantry today.”
The demonstration lasted roughly an hour and the restaurant remained open during the protest.
The owners said they can only protect the workers’ jobs if a new owner keeps the business as a restaurant.
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