Coronavirus: The Famous Original Pantry Restaurant Without A Line

Famous for heaping portions of classic American fare and long, the Original Pantry Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles is deserted during the coronavirus quarantine.

Like Pink’s Hot Dogs in Hollywood, the Pantry is famous for long lines of customers waiting to get inside. The Original Pantry is also famed for having never closed or even locked its doors during its 95 years of feeding hungry Angelenos. It’s said the door doesn’t even have a lock. That isn’t 100% true. It has had brief closings but it still has an impressive record.

Driving by during the COVID-19 quarantine I noticed it looking like is does in the pictures. No line! I knew that was something we’re not going to see again once this is behind us so I parked and took the photos.

I walked up to find out why they weren’t doing takeout. I assumed a restaurant as busy as the Pantry usually is would have a long line of customers waiting for to-go orders.

As it turns out, they were open for takeout and I did see one person come out with their take-out order.

My take-away here is this. When all of the “non-essential businesses” have been ordered to close and their employees laid off, there just aren’t enough people with money to keep the “essential” businesses in business long. And these small iconic businesses are the hardest hit. Let’s be sure to think of them first when the world opens for business once again.