Turning the corner on 6th and Main Streets, an hours-long line of potential customers has been waiting to get a final dip and drink at Cole’s French Dip. It’s been this way since July 7, when owner Cedd Moses and his Pouring With Heart company announced the imminent closure of the historic restaurant and saloon.
“It’s back to the old days temporarily, when we were packed all the time before the pandemic,” Moses said Thursday.
The last day of service for the landmark restaurant, which claims to have invented the French dip, was meant to be Aug. 2. Now, due to the outpouring of support from the community as well as advocacy from local organizations including DTLA Residents Association, Independent Hospitality Coalition, Historic Core BID, Central City Association and the DTLA Alliance, Moses has struck a deal with the space’s landlord to extend service for 45 days.
“Diners and imbibers have been visiting from all across Southern California to say their goodbyes, for which we couldn’t be more grateful,” read a statement announcing the extension. “Though it’s likely not going to be forever, it is still a gift to keep the ovens on, the drinks flowing and our family of staff employed for a little bit longer.”
Moses declined to detail the terms with the landlord but said sales have jumped dramatically since the closure announcement. Notably, the restaurant, which in the recent past has sold more drinks than food, is now selling as many dips as drinks, he said. As of last weekend, the restaurant is opening at noon on Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate the crowds.
“When places are closing, it’s always such a celebration and a cast off,” said Eddie Navarrette, the executive director of the Independent Hospitality Coalition. “People want to get in there and get emotional and have some of that nostalgic memory with a cocktail.
“It’s the experience of being in the room one last time.”
Moses, who also sits on the board of the Independent Hospitality Coalition, said he is grateful for the surge in business. But he said it’s unlikely Cole’s will remain open indefinitely.
“We understand people are coming in now to say goodbye, and we can’t count on that business being sustainable,” he said, adding that the restaurant business in L.A. remains a “broken model.”
In addition to the lack of demand since the pandemic, Moses said increasing costs, particularly of labor, have been a major drag on the business.
“Coming out of the pandemic, we just assumed business would come roaring back,” he added. “But unfortunately we never saw that surge of business that we expected until just this couple of weeks, ironically after we announced our closing.”
In the interim, Moses is actively looking for a new buyer of the business — one that will respect the historic value of Cole’s, the oldest restaurant in the city.
“We have a lot of love for Cole’s, so we don’t want to sell it to just anybody,” he said. “We want someone that’s going to continue to take care of it in the future.”
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