Cole's French Dip, the downtown Los Angeles mainstay that claims to be the longest-running restaurant in the city, will permanently close on Sunday night – really, this time.
Open for 118 years, the eatery announced plans to close last summer, which were then kicked down the road several times. The end of March was eventually landed on as a firm date, and ownership says Sunday is when it'll officially close.
The restaurant opens at noon Sunday and will remain open until supplies are sold out.
"You ever heard the one about the bar that cried wolf," the Cole's French Dip website reads. "This time we really mean it!"
The delay was due to the outpouring of support and increased business after its announced closure, ownership says. But its website alluded to a possible return someday in its "next iteration," although it's unclear what that could be.
Ownership cited the pandemic, crime in the surrounding area and rising rent and labor costs as reasons for the closure. It follows the trend of longtime LA dining spots closing in the last year, like Le Petit Four and Papa Cristos.