Cole's Set To Reopen By Thanksgiving Under New Owners After March Closing

Sean Maloney and Jeremy Fall, new owners of Cole's French Dip, plan to reopen the downtown Los Angeles restaurant by Thanksgiving. The pair discussed their plans on LAist 89.3's AirTalk. The restaurant closed in March after Cedd Moses of 213 Hospitality, now known as Pouring With Heart, announced in July 2025 that Cole's would shut down. Moses cited the pandemic's continuing effects, the Hollywood strikes, crime, rising rents and operating costs. He pushed the closing date back several times before the doors finally shut in March.

The history runs long. Cole's opened in 1908 as Cole's P.E. Buffet, serving Pacific Electric streetcar commuters. It claims to have invented the French dip sandwich, a claim long disputed with Philippe's the Original in Chinatown. In 2007, Cedd Moses restored the interior at a reported cost of $1.6 million. The Los Angeles Conservancy gave the restoration a Preservation Award in 2009. The work also helped spark downtown's cocktail and nightlife revival, along with the Varnish, Cole's hidden speakeasy.

The new owners are changing parts of the menu. They plan a pastrami French dip using thin-sliced pastrami from Langer's Deli and a custom loaf from Clark Street Bread. Maloney comes from Nancy Silverton's Mozza group. He joked that Fall had talked him into it, but added that if no one else had saved Cole's, it would have been him.

Fall grew up two blocks from Cole's, where his family ran a restaurant. He said he wants to draw diners from all over L.A. to give people more reasons to come downtown. Maloney said many former staff members are returning. He wants to create a "Cheers"-style space that is also financially sustainable.

Both owners plan to preserve the building's historic elements under its landmark protections. They are adding more seating, including banquettes. The bar will stay the same, while the overall feel shifts toward a sit-down restaurant. Opening is targeted for Thanksgiving.