Cole's French Dip, Los Angeles' oldest restaurant and self-proclaimed inventor of the French dip sandwich, will close its doors on August 3 after 117 years of operation, marking the end of an era for downtown's dining scene.
The closure comes as independent restaurants across Los Angeles struggle with mounting pressures from the pandemic, rising costs, and economic uncertainty that have already claimed other local institutions.
Owner Cedd Moses of Pouring With Heart confirmed the closure Monday, citing what he called a "litany of reasons" affecting independent restaurants citywide12. The factors include the COVID-19 pandemic, Hollywood actors' and writers' strikes, crime, rising labor and goods costs, high rents, and mounting bureaucracy23.
"After exhaustive deliberation and numerous attempts at last-ditch efforts, our beloved Los Angeles institution, Cole's, Originators of the French Dip, has made the difficult decision to close its doors," Moses said in a statement2. He emphasized that Cole's situation "is not unique" and affects most independent restaurants in Los Angeles1.
The news first broke over the weekend when DTLA Insider reported receiving a tip from DTLA Weekly, which obtained information directly from Cole's employees24. Cole's joins other Los Angeles dining institutions that have closed in recent months, including Le Petit Four and Papa Cristos3.
Established in 1908 by entrepreneur Harry Cole, the restaurant operated from the Pacific Electric Building, once the center of Henry Huntington's railway network that served 100,000 passengers daily12. Cole's has long claimed to be the true inventor of the French dip sandwich, a distinction disputed by nearby Philippe the Original, which also opened in 190834.
According to Cole's lore, house chef Jack Garlinghouse created the sandwich when he dipped bread in au jus to soften it for a customer with sensitive gums5. The city of Los Angeles designated Cole's as Historical Landmark Site #104 in 1974, officially recognizing it as the French dip's inventor1.
Moses's company invested $1.6 million in a restoration when it reopened Cole's in 2008, earning a Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award the following year16. The restaurant's hidden speakeasy, The Varnish, closed last year7.
