{"id":526896,"date":"2026-11-12T05:52:40","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T05:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/526896\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T05:52:40","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T05:52:40","slug":"the-original-pantry-cafe-returns-with-a-new-menu-and-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/526896\/","title":{"rendered":"The Original Pantry Cafe returns with a new menu and mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

It may be entering a new era, but walking into the Original Pantry Cafe still feels like stepping back in time. The caged cash register is still there, with a worn spot on the floor in front of it, and the wood-board menus listing the day\u2019s specials in chalk.<\/p>\n

The iconic diner, which had served downtown L.A. from the corner of Ninth and Figueroa streets for over 100 years, closed in March 2025<\/a> amid a labor dispute, after the trust that owned it decided to sell the property. Now, under new ownership, it reopens Thursday, Nov. 19.<\/p>\n

Leo Pustilnikov, a developer, bought the building in September 2025, and Hope the Mission, a San Fernando Valley nonprofit, will now run it, with all profits going to shelters for L.A.\u2019s unhoused community.<\/p>\n

Longtime staff are returning under a new contract with UNITE HERE Local 11. Rowan Vansleve, president of Hope the Mission, called bringing them back \u201cincredibly emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s back and what\u2019s not<\/p>\n

Fans of the Pantry will find familiar names on the menu, including the famous coleslaw and sourdough toast from Frisco Baking Co. And of course, the beloved pancakes make their triumphant return, now made from scratch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got the same sourdough that we were using prior to Hope the Mission coming in,\u201d Vansleve said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The Pantry\u2019s dining room and long counter keep their classic diner look, with a new bakery case near the front windows.<\/p>\n

(<\/p>\n

Courtesy The Original Pantry Cafe <\/p>\n

)<\/p>\n

Other dishes got a 2026 makeover. The Denver omelet now uses poblano peppers, the fried chicken sandwich comes with a spicy chile glaze and pickled radish, and a new bakery case is stocked with cookies, pies, chocolate malt crunch cake and peach cobbler.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a few alterations on the menu,\u201d Vansleve said. \u201cTastes have changed, and this needs to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two new sandwiches are named after donors who helped fund the reopening. The Betty Burger comes with Cooper sharp cheese, grilled onions, house pickles and Pantry Gold sauce on a sesame bun. Grant\u2019s Sky High Deli piles half a pound of warm corned beef with Gruy\u00e8re, horseradish slaw and mustard on toasted rye.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really excited for people to try our burger,\u201d said executive chef Daniel Hur.<\/p>\n

\"Syrup<\/p>\n

A stack of buttermilk pancakes made from scratch costs $16.<\/p>\n

(<\/p>\n

Courtesy <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Courtesy The Original Pantry Cafe<\/p>\n

)<\/p>\n

Buttermilk pancakes are $16, and the classic breakfast platter \u2014 eggs, meat, Pantry potatoes and toast \u2014 is $21.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did a lot of research to make sure that we\u2019re just under pretty much everyone else in the local area,\u201d Vansleve said. \u201cWe\u2019re not gonna gouge you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pantry no longer runs around the clock, and it now takes cards.<\/p>\n

But Vansleve hopes the shortened hours will be temporary. \u201cThe Pantry\u2019s not truly back until it\u2019s 24 hours,\u201d he acknowledged, adding that hours will expand as demand allows. He also hopes to reopen Riordan\u2019s Tavern, the adjoining bar, \u201cin some renewed format sometime late next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not everyone is sold<\/p>\n

As soon as the new menu was posted online, commenters flooded the restaurant\u2019s Instagram page and Reddit, pleading for nothing to change.<\/p>\n

Hur, who grew up in Culver City, said he understands. \u201cI love Tito\u2019s Tacos. It\u2019s been around since the \u201950s. If someone came in there and changed the Tito\u2019s Taco, I\u2019d be like, \u2018Why?\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cSo I get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The specials board greets Angelenos ahead of the Nov. 19 reopening.<\/p>\n

(<\/p>\n

Courtesy The Original Pantry Cafe <\/p>\n

)<\/p>\n

Hur said he\u2019s had to weigh purists against diners looking for something new, aiming to welcome back regulars while drawing in a new crowd. He\u2019s open to feedback. \u201cI know even if I\u2019m not open to it, I\u2019m gonna get it,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I might as well be open to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vansleve\u2019s pitch is simpler: \u201cGive it a go, come in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every meal helps, he said. \u201c100% of the profits is gonna go back to the charity.\u201d Hope the Mission runs 35 shelters housing about 3,500 people on any given night, according to Vansleve<\/p>\n

To reach its 24-hour goal, he said, \u201cWe need to see those lines around the corner like they used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Original Pantry Cafe
Where: 877 S. Figueroa St.
When: Opening Nov. 19, with a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting
Hours: 7 a.m.\u2013 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 7 a.m.\u201311 p.m. Friday and Saturday<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It may be entering a new era, but walking into the Original Pantry Cafe still feels like stepping…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":526897,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[200846,200847,200848,48,52,51,47,50,49,93071,200841,200842,200843,200844,200845],"class_list":["post-526896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-downtown-la-diner","tag-historic-la-restaurants","tag-is-the-original-pantry-open-24-hours","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-original-pantry-cafe","tag-original-pantry-cafe-reopening-date","tag-original-pantry-cafe-reopens","tag-original-pantry-hours","tag-original-pantry-new-menu","tag-the-pantry-reopening"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=526896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/526897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=526896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=526896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=526896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}