Cole’s, the historic downtown Los Angeles restaurant known for its French dip sandwiches, is expected to reopen in November under new ownership after closing earlier this year.
Restaurateurs Jeremy Fall and Sean Maloney are preparing to revive the restaurant, which closed March 29 after more than a century in business, according to the Los Angeles Times. The pair hope to reopen Cole’s in mid to late November, pending final approval of a liquor license and completion of the sale, the newspaper reported.
Cole’s opened in 1908 as Cole’s Pacific Electric Buffet, serving sandwiches to commuters using the city’s former Red Car streetcar system. The restaurant has long claimed to be the birthplace of the French dip sandwich, although Philippe the Original, another historic downtown establishment, also claims to have invented it.
Fall, a chef and hospitality entrepreneur who grew up near Cole’s, is partnering with Maloney, a former chief hospitality officer of Mozza Restaurant Group. The pair have been working to revive the restaurant since August, with plans to preserve its historic character while expanding the menu, according to The Times.
The revamped restaurant will continue serving French dip sandwiches, including a version made with dry-brined prime rib and a 24-hour au jus. Other offerings will include pastrami and vegan French dips, fresh ravioli, prime rib frites and salmon with trout roe. Daniel Nguyen, formerly of Osteria Mozza and Lolo Wine Bar, will lead the kitchen.
Fall and Maloney also plan to retain several historic features, including a booth favored by gangster Mickey Cohen and a restroom plaque bearing the name of poet Charles Bukowski. Changes to the dining room will include additional seating, white tablecloths and a piano, with the pool tables removed.
The restaurant’s previous operator, hospitality group Pouring With Heart, announced plans to close Cole’s in July 2025, citing financial losses tied to the pandemic, entertainment-industry strikes and rising labor costs.
Public support helped delay the closure until March 2026.
The space formerly occupied by the Varnish, a cocktail bar behind the restaurant’s dining room, will be used for private dining through the end of the year, the newspaper reported.
