After eight months of extensions, fan lines and negotiations to find a new buyer, one of Los Angeles' oldest and most famous restaurants will close this weekend with a celebration. Cole's, the city's oldest tavern and alleged creator of the French sandwich, will close its doors on March 29.
“We delayed the closing because we got a great response from people coming out to support the restaurant, which we really appreciated,” said Cedd Moses, founder of hospitality group Pouring with Heart. “But then business started going down again, so now, at this point, we're forced to close. We just can't keep the doors open and continue to lose money.”
Last July, Pouring with Heart, owner of Cole's since 2008, announced an early August closure for the downtown institution. It was then extended until September, which was extended again until the end of 2025. In the final days of the year, the group announced that the restaurant and bar would be open until January, but they continued until March. The team delayed the closing while they tried to find a new buyer who would continue the legacy of the historically designated Cole's, and not simply open a new concept within the dark, moody space.
In the decision to close, Pouring with Heart (formerly 213 Hospitality) cited near-monthly financial losses that began during the pandemic, then continued with rising labor and insurance costs, decreased business due to entertainment industry strikes and job losses, the 2025 fires and beyond.
Although there are multiple interested parties, Moses said, none have closed escrow.
“We're close to signing on the dotted line, so we're still hopeful,” he said. “But either way, we just have to close the doors at the end of the month. We'll see if something materializes.”
A view of the year 2025 inside Cole's, one of the oldest restaurants and bars in Los Angeles. Cole's received a preservation-oriented renovation in 2008 to maintain its antiques and wallpaper.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
After closure announcements in 2025, lines stretched down the block. Wait times lasted up to an hour and a half as fans flocked for one last French dip sandwich. But even in its busiest months, Moses said, Cole's barely broke even.
In 2024, Pouring with Heart closed Cole's influential speakeasy, The Varnish, which helped lead Los Angeles' craft cocktail movement in the 2010s. The announcement shocked the beverage community, but Moses said the decision allowed Cole's another year in business.
Cole's debuted at the base of the Pacific Electric Building in 1908, serving affordable barbecue meats, sandwiches and drinks primarily to busy travelers. The famous French sandwich is rumored to have been first served here, unlike Chinatown's Philippe the Original restaurant, which also claims the invention. The story goes that to soften sandwich bread for a guest with bad gums, Cole's chef Jack Garlinghouse dipped the bun in au jus.
Over the decades, Cole gained admirers such as the poet Charles Bukowski, whose memory is preserved with a plaque above a urinal that reads: “Charles Bukowski urinated here”; gangster Mickey Cohen, who has a similar urinal plate and a favorite booth, which still stands in the front corner of the restaurant; and actor-director Andy Garcia, who features the bar in an upcoming movie called “Diamond.”
The company changed hands several times during its first century. When Pouring with Heart obtained Cole's, Moses and his team invested $1.6 million in a year-long restoration, which included installing a new kitchen, removing asbestos, and removing years of paint covering the original wallpaper, which was then digitally copied and printed onto new wallpaper to preserve the restaurant's historic aesthetic.
The iconic French bathroom conceived by Neal Fraser at Cole's.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Redbird chef Neal Fraser contributed a new recipe for the French sauce, which requires 24 hours of marinating, nine hours of roasting and 12 hours of cooking the juice. Fraser also created new versions of Cole's astringent “atomic mustard” slaw and grilled cheese sandwich.
Cole's is once again turning to local chefs for its final weekend, with a host of collaborative specials in addition to the regular menu. On Saturday, find a curry beef dip from Jitlada, a burger dip from Father's Office, and a Wagyu pho dip from Little Fatty. Then on Sunday, look for a surprise dip from Bay Cities (a party interested in buying Cole's), loaded red mole fries from Guelaguetza, and a po' boy dip from Found Oyster.
Each restaurant will serve 118 versions of their sandwich in honor of the restaurant's operation, while See's Candy will hand out 59 treats each day for a total of 118 treats over the weekend.
cole is located at 118 E. 6th St., Los Angeles, open Monday through Thursday from 2 pm to midnight, Friday and Saturday from noon to 2 am, and Sunday from noon to midnight.
