The historic Broadway corridor in Downtown Los Angeles is buzzing once again with news of a monumental shift coming to Clifton’s Republic. Our legendary “forest in the city” looks like it will be transitioning away from the stewardship of Andrew Meieran with the promise of a new concept and returning nights of fun in the days to come. This will be good news for night owls and historians alike as the historic location transforms once again in honor of the great Clifford Clinton.
Good Ol’ Grandpa Clifford Clinton
The story begins in 1931 with Clifford Clinton, the son of Salvation Army missionaries whose childhood in China inspired a lifelong vow to feed the hungry worldwide. In 1935, Clinton opened Clifton’s Cafeteria under the original name “Clifton’s Brookdale” on Broadway as a woodland cathedral for the common man.
Back then, the interior was a romanticized sanctuary where faux redwood trees stretched toward the heavens and a twenty-foot waterfall provided a baptismal hum. Revered as a place of sensory piousness, the air was filled with the soft strains of Christian music, the soul with hymns, and the aroma of freshly carved meats. Believing the Lord was by his side, Clinton erected a glowing neon cross atop a miniature stone chapel where visitors could sit and pray before tossing their coins into an iconic fountain as an “amen” before leaving.
As a son of missionaries, Clinton eventually dedicated his life to feeding the hungry, ensuring locals suffering from the Great Depression had a place to eat no matter how destitute. He would ultimately make history as the do-gooder fighting City Hall and the police while upholding his Golden Rule: “No Man Should Go Hungry,” offering free meals to anyone in need. For almost a century, Clifton’s Cafeteria had been a beloved go-to for elders to present the world-famous downtown cafe to new generations.
The Dark Forest
But by the early 2000s, the forest had grown dark and Clifton’s Cafeteria had faded into a state of kitschy disrepair. With the promise of a new DTLA well underway and the booming success of his previous build-out of the Edison Lounge (hidden within an alley on 2nd and Main), in 2010, developer and antique collector Andrew Meieran purchased Clifton’s for roughly $3.6 million.
Dubbed “Indiana Meieran” by DTLA Weekly, Andrew’s new Clifton’s Republic would celebrate the old concept of Clifton’s Cafeteria with relics he’d excavated from the past, taxidermy, and the discovery of one of the oldest neon lights in history—found glowing behind a forgotten wall in the building’s sub-level.
While simultaneously silencing the missionary hymns, knocking down the iconic neon cross and replacing the quiet hum of prayer with the type of debauchery that could only be found in the days of Prohibition, Andrew layered the multi-story landmark with new wonders including a curated life-sized taxidermy collection: a ferocious lion, curious brown bear, hunting saber-toothed tiger, and a whole wandering buffalo.
There was even a room especially designated for live music of old, with other spaces available for table, balcony, booth, and window dining. For more extravagance and allure, two peacocks, vintage sound machines, and old murals decorated every level, with the exception of the hidden Pacific Seas tiki bar, which he completed with a wooden boat centerpiece, Mai Tais, and rattan island fixings.
By far the most prominently placed add-on was a massive hollow redwood tree with its base centered inside the cafe and branches that reached to the fourth level, where Andrew situated a black, Gothic-style bar for the “dark arts” of spirit mixing, complete with the magic of a shiny, 4.7-billion-year-old meteorite.
Historic Blessing … or Historic Curse?
When it reopened in 2015, the whole world got a chance to visit the venue that had evolved into “Clifton’s Republic,” a multi-level playground. However, this era of indulgence eventually faced significant hurdles. Despite a loyal following of nostalgia sophisticates donning classic 1920s attire and dancing to live bands, the “Covid Wars” would prove to be disastrous for the venue.
According to property records and CoStar News, the mounting costs of maintaining the 40,000-square-foot structure post Covid led Meieran to sell the building to the Robhana Group in September 2022 for $8.6 million. While Meieran initially intended to keep the lease and liquor license and stay on as the operator, the venue’s physical spirit seemed to rebel.
By 2023, long gone were the days of dress codes, old-time bands, and dancing elites. Andrew’s “Cabinet of Curiosities” was showing obvious signs of wear and tear, seemingly due to the deliberate acts of a new era of patrons bent on pulling off peacock feathers, leaving the speakeasy entrance exposed, and even going as far as offering chewed-up gum to the taxidermic beasts.
Then, according to reports from LAist, a major water pipe burst, causing a massive flood that severely damaged the kitchen and ceilings. This untimely mishap forced the venue into an extended closure throughout 2025, only to return with the same overcrowded mayhem and top 40 hits filling the cafeteria hall with a weekend dance floor or private events.
So, What’s Next?
As of April 2026, the building enters its third life under the direct influence of the Robhana Group. According to local business filings and industry insiders, the owners are now taking over the liquor license and seeking a new operator to replace Meieran. The space is being rebranded under a “Metropolis” concept—a vision described as a sophisticated, forward-looking iteration of the space.
Whether this new era will lean toward Clinton’s mission or Meieran’s excess remains to be seen, but the ghosts of both the missionary and the night-owl still linger among the faux redwoods as the “Metropolis” prepares to rise.
