Welp. The neon sign at Cole’s French Dip has finally flickered out. After more than a century of service, Cole’s French Dip has officially closed its doors, marking another somber milestone of closures for Downtown Los Angeles.
Saving Cole’s
When DT Weekly first broke the news of Cole’s plans to dip, the announcement sparked a massive show of community support led by DTLA Insider and LA in a Minute, followed by a slew of local mainstream media outlets from coast to coast.
We had seen so many closures in 2025, weeks knew something was wrong when the server lowered their head in disbelief when we joked about, a then nearly empty Cole’s, hypothetically closing too. At that moment our investigative skills kicked in and after a series of questions, we got the scoop.
As news got out, owner Uncle Cedd Mo and Pouring with Heart management finally began going public with official statements citing the closure came after years of navigating a global pandemic, rising costs, and shifting urban dynamics.
The days that followed saw a scene of pure nostalgia and devotion, with long lines of people wrapping around the block, all eager to have one last taste of history. For generations of Angelenos, a trip to Cole’s was more than a meal; it was a rite of passage. The outpouring was so generous that the iconic eatery even extended its closing date into mid-September to accommodate the crowds, which ultimately only led to another extended closure date, foretold for April 2026.
The inside of Cole’s was redesigned and brought to life through a meticulous restoration by Ricki Kline. Also famous for his work inside of Seven Grand and The Golden Gopher. In fact most places in town featuring this eclectic decor, of stuffed taxidermy hunted down animal heads carry the signature feel of Kline, well known for his work in creating a speakeasy feel of downtown Los Angeles.
Cole’s also housed a curated collection of nostalgic signage from the history’s past with taxidermy sharing the wall space with nostalgic bar history signage, old prices, and one of a kind artifacts that can only be produced through the passage of time.
The menu remained a masterclass in classic comfort, anchored by the legendary French Dip available in roast beef, pork, turkey, or lamb. Fans and locals alike flocked there for the “atomic” house-made mustard, bacon potato salad, and garlic fries, often washing it all down with the famously cheap beer and “High Life Pony” specials that kept the high-history haunt accessible to everyone.
In more recent years, the experience was elevated by The Varnish, the award-winning speakeasy tucked behind a secret door in the back. While that hidden gem sadly closed its doors permanently following the challenges of the post-pandemic era, the main room continued to serve as a dark, cool sanctuary for the city’s modern storytellers.
Monuments in time
Since the beginning, Cole’s French Dip has always been located in the cellar of the Pacific Electric Building, a historic landmark and a testament to the city’s early 20th-century evolution from horse and buggy into a sprawling metropolis.
Opened on January 15, 1905, the building—also known as the Huntington Building—was designed by architect Thornton Fitzhugh. At its completion, this ten-story Beaux-Arts and Richardsonian Romanesque masterpiece was considered Los Angeles’s first skyscraper and the largest building west of Chicago for many decades.
It served as the nerve center for the Pacific Electric Railway, a colossal system of “Red Cars” that boasted over 1,000 miles of track. The ground floor was the grand “Main Street Station,” a cavernous concourse where thousands of commuters embarked and disembarked daily.
While the upper floors housed offices and the prestigious Jonathan Club, the lower floor became home to Cole’s Pacific Electric Buffet in 1908. It was here that culinary history was allegedly made. According to lore, house chef Jack Garlinghouse dipped a customer’s French bread into au jus to soften it for someone with sore gums.
Other patrons requested the same, and the French Dip was born—a claim famously contested by Philippe the Original, sparking a local debate that has lasted over a century.
As transportation shifted toward the freeway system, the Pacific Electric Building adapted. The last rail line ceased operations in 1961, and the final bus departed in 1964. The building spent years as a popular filming location, appearing in over 400 productions like Forrest Gump and L.A. Confidential, before being converted into residential lofts in 2005. Through every transition, Cole’s remained an anchor of old-world charm, with its varnished tables reportedly made from retired Red Car doors.
People loved Cole’s for that rare sense of continuity, where you could sit at varnished tables reportedly made from retired Red Car doors and feel the grit of “Old LA” around you. The closure marks the end of a massive era, yet the spirit of the place remains etched into the fabric of 6th and Main.
It is the end of an era, yet there is a flicker of hope in the history of DTLA. But although it may have been the first French Dip Sandwich, it just may not be the last.
Yes the doors have shuttered and the last farewell party has been thrown, again with lines around the block… so it’s bye for now. However, previous closures, such as The Pantry and The Mayan, have all seen their rebirth, suggesting it is entirely possible that Cole’s will be the first French dip to rise from the ashes like a Phoenix. While the doors are locked for now, the legend remains intact.
