Original Pantry Cafe set to reopen with new menu and nonprofit mission

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

The Original Pantry Cafe, a downtown Los Angeles diner that served customers for a century, is set to reopen Nov. 19 under new ownership. The new operator, Hope the Mission, will use all profits to fund homeless services.

The reopening tests whether a historic restaurant can survive as a social enterprise. It also resolves, at least for now, a labor dispute that closed the diner in March 2025 and left 21 workers without jobs.

Why it matters

If the Pantry's nonprofit model works, it could show how historic businesses can fund social services without public money.

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Key Indicators

Returning staff

Of 21 employees at closure, 13 will return under a new union contract.

$50,000

Projected monthly profit for Hope the Mission

Hope the Mission estimates the Pantry can generate nearly $50,000 per month.

3.8M

Meals Hope the Mission prepares annually

The nonprofit's food services produce 3.8 million meals a year.

Staff at closure

The diner had 21 employees when it closed in March 2025.

$6M

Pre-pandemic annual revenue

Hope the Mission cites $6 million in yearly revenue before Covid-19.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Leo Pustilnikov

New owner, real estate developer

Owns the Pantry building; selected Hope the Mission as operator

Rowan Vansleve

President, Hope the Mission

Leading nonprofit operator of the Pantry

Kurt Petersen

Co-president, Unite Here Local 11

Negotiated return of 13 workers

Ken Craft

Founder and CEO, Hope the Mission

Overseeing nonprofit's social enterprise expansion

Organizations Involved

Original Pantry Cafe

Historic restaurant

Set to reopen Nov. 19 under Hope the Mission

Century-old downtown diner known for 24-hour service and large portions.

Hope the Mission

Nonprofit

Operator of the Pantry; all profits fund homeless services

San Fernando Valley-based nonprofit providing shelter, meals and recovery programs.

Unite Here Local 1

Labor union

Represented Pantry workers; negotiated new contract

Hospitality workers union representing restaurant and hotel employees in Los Angeles.

Richard J. Riordan Administrative Trust

Trust

Former owner; closed the Pantry in 2025

Trust established after former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan died in 2023.

Timeline

1924 November 2026

7 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
LAist reports new menu and mission
Latest Report

LAist details the return of pancakes and coleslaw, new dishes, and the nonprofit profit model.
Yesterday
Reopening date announced
Announcement

The Los Angeles Times reports the Pantry is scheduled to reopen Nov. 19.
6 days ago
September 2025
Pustilnikov buys the building
Ownership

Real estate developer Leo Pustilnikov purchases the nearly 8,000-square-foot property.
September 2025
March 2025
Pantry closes abruptly
Closure

The Riordan trust closes the diner after a labor dispute, leaving 21 workers without jobs.
March 2nd, 2025
2023
Workers seek contract protection
Labor

About two dozen employees ask the Riordan trust to protect their contract rights in a sale.
2023
1981
Richard Riordan buys the Pantry
Ownership

The future Los Angeles mayor acquires the diner and later opens Riordan's Tavern next door.
1981
1924
Original Pantry Cafe opens
History

The diner begins serving downtown Los Angeles from Figueroa and Ninth Streets.
1924

Scenarios

Pantry reopens on Nov. 19 as planned

Likely Resolves by Nov 20, 2026

Discussed by: Los Angeles Times, Hope the Mission

The restaurant opens to the public on schedule, with returning staff and a new menu. Hope the Mission begins directing profits to its homeless services programs.

Reopening slips past Nov. 19

Possible Resolves by Nov 20, 2026

Discussed by: Los Angeles Times

Permitting, repairs or staffing issues push the public opening beyond the announced date. The delay extends the closure that began in March 2025.

Hope the Mission takes over Riordan's Tavern by end of 2027

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Los Angeles Times

The nonprofit expands its operation to the adjacent bar and grill, turning the full property into a fundraising and social enterprise hub.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

March 2025

Original Pantry Cafe closure (2025)

The Pantry closed abruptly on March 2, 2025, after the Richard J. Riordan Administrative Trust and Unite Here Local 11 failed to agree on a new contract. Employees were told to leave; police escorted union co-president Kurt Petersen out.

Then

The closure left 21 workers without jobs and the building empty.

Now

The trust sold the building to Leo Pustilnikov in September 2025, setting up the nonprofit reopening.

Why this matters now

The new operator had to resolve the same labor dispute that closed the diner.

1981-2023

Richard Riordan's ownership (1981-2023)

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan bought the Pantry in 1981 and owned it until his death in 2023. He also opened Riordan's Tavern next door in 2007.

Then

The Pantry remained a downtown institution under his ownership.

Now

After his death, the property passed to a trust, which closed the restaurant in 2025.

Why this matters now

The trust's decision to close the Pantry created the opening for a new owner and nonprofit operator.

April-May 1992

1992 Los Angeles uprising

The Pantry stayed open through the 1992 Los Angeles uprising, serving customers as unrest spread across the city. It was famous for never locking its doors.

Then

The diner became a symbol of continuity.

Now

Its ability to operate during crisis reinforced its status as a civic landmark.

Why this matters now

That history is part of why the reopening drew attention and why Hope the Mission frames it as a community institution.