The Original Pantry Cafe continues labor negotiations amid plans to close

Negotiations continue Wednesday between operators of the Original Pantry Cafe Los Angeles restaurant and its employee union, as a March 2 closure date looms.

The late Mayor Riordan owned and operated The Pantry as a personal passion, he bought the business in 1981. He passed away in 2023 and upon his death, ownership of the Pantry passed to the Richard J. Riordan Trust.

Representatives with the trust said that The Pantry's employees and the union representing its employees, Local 11, have known since last summer that The Pantry would likely be closing, either as part of the sale of the property to a new owner or because of economic circumstances. They said this is not a new development.

People continue to show support at the 100-year-old establishment, gathering outside near a banner that reads, "Save The Pantry, Protect our Jobs." Many of the workers have been there for two or more decades.

In August 2024 the Pantry offered a "stay bonus" to its employees who chose to stay at the restaurant until either the Pantry's closure or a specified date in 2026. Representatives with the trust said employees accepted the bonuses, of varying amounts depending on the length of employment.

After learning of the Panty's bonus plan, Local 11 contacted The Pantry and demanded a new labor contract negotiation. Representatives with the trust said some of the union's demands are unacceptable, including requiring the next owner of the site to operate a restaurant and to take the labor contract with no renegotiation. They say this demand would impede the sale of the property.

"Because the union insisted on these demands at the first bargaining session, the Pantry then made a proposal to close on March 2. The Pantry continues to engage in discussions with Local 11, and we do not know what will happen in our next bargaining session on February 26," the Office of Richard J Riordan Administrative Trust wrote.