Downtown LA’s Cole’s, one of the purported inventors of the French dip sandwich, will close permanently on August 3, 2025 after 117 years of business due to what owner Cedd Moses tells Eater is a “litany of reasons,” including ongoing impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 writers and actors strikes, rising labor and rent costs, and local bureaucracy. Moses, the main partner in hospitality company Pouring With Heart, also closed iconic cocktail bar the Varnish in 2024, a speakeasy hidden inside of a former back storage room of Cole’s.
“Many historical independent restaurants are struggling under the weight of these issues and have already closed, while those remaining are fighting to survive,” Moses said in an emailed statement to Eater.
Moses thanks the community and Cole’s workers in his statement: “We have cherished our time serving the Downtown community, and will continue to craft great drinks and our renowned French dip sandwiches until we shutter. We care deeply about our family of staff and are immensely grateful for our amazing guests who have supported Cole’s over the years. We invite you to come in and see us this month before our departure, to laugh, to cry, to raise glasses, to eat, and to say your goodbyes right alongside us.”
Moses and his group Pouring With Heart continue to operate numerous nightlife locations in Downtown, including Las Perlas across the street from Cole’s, as well as Tony’s Saloon in the Arts District. There are currently no plans to reopen Cole’s elsewhere.