Pope Cristo's closure, Du-Pars and Chili John's fights: La-restaurants in Trrulble

A Greek institution on May 4 will serve its last, flame-protected, grilled lamb, her last pillow potatoes, her saganaki swan song. After 77 years, the family wipe restaurant Pope Cristo's closes for sale with its building list.

What started as a Greek market in 1948 has become a full restaurant and municipal reasons for decades. Its united generations of Angelenos, who flocked to spectries and Greek festivals from three generations of the Chrys family on the edge of the Pico Union. The restaurant became the unofficial heart of the Byzantine Latino district, a small historical-cultural district, together with that near the Greek-Sophia Greek-Orthodox cathedral.

“Mark Yordon, the cousin of the owner Chrys Chrys, and a member of the family company for about 40 years.”

Yordon refused to confirm that rent increases influenced the decision to close, but Chrys Said Laist This rising rent was the culprit. “The rent got too high,” he said, “and that is nothing we can do.

Yordon, who works as a general manager, said the family had made a decision when he learned that the building was offered for sale. The lot of the Pope Cristo, which is zoned for residential purposes, is currently listed at $ 5.2 million.

The cult of the listing agent is not achieved for a comment.

“The whole corner is for sale and it was never offered for sale,” said Yordon. “It belonged to the same Greek family that had associations with Chrys Dad and the electricity [lot] Grandfather of the owner. It goes far back until 1948. “

A LA institute

Sam Chrys founded in 1948 what Papa Cristo would be as C&K Importing Co. The market sold Greek food and wine and today do this alongside wider Mediterranean and European specialties.

In 1968 Chrys Chrys bought the business from his father and finally also through an adjacent burger stand to transform Ite Papa Cristos Taverna.

The generous parts and the sociable environment have contributed to the fact that Pope Cristo has joined the trade as decades of staple for the Neighborhood and far beyond and in 2010 the youngest daughter of Chrys, Annie.

The past few years have not been so easy for Papa Cristo's, which, like so many local companies, saw the pandemic download steep income. However, the market enabled sales and catering operation of the restaurant.

In the following years, inflation led to slimmer profit margins. Now Yordon thought about recipes on the horizon: “Maybe that was a good time to go.”

The news broke, so many fans stream the restaurant and the market. Hundreds of online comments scream to save the business.

It could be a future that Papa Cristos opens in a smaller place elsewhere, although Yordon said that fate is determined by his cousin and his niece. It is also possible that Chrys, now 80, take this opportunity to retire.

“He somehow comes to his limit,” said Yordon. “Heavy lies the head that carries the crown.”

But a public statent of Chrys on Thursday Indians could be the end of Pope Cristo. “After 77 years on the corner of Pico and Normandie, it is time for me to say goodbye to me,” he said on the Restaurant's Instagram page, Ading, the things of Pope Cristo's Pope. “

More classic restaurants are fighting

Some of the longest and esteemed restaurants in the city have announced a Struppat in the past few weeks to survive or put them on. Chili Johns in Burank, which was opened in 1946, recently introduced a fundraising campaign to help the business to help over water. An owner Last month said That with the moment in the coming months.

Recently, the CEO of Du-Par von Du-Par, founded in 1938, said Diner, who is known for his hotcakes in a corner of the original farmer Market, also fights. Frances Tario Said in a minute of La “ Podcaster evan Increasing egg prices and a loss of business from the January forest fires in the city I injured one of the oldest surviving restaurants in the city. Tario could not be reached for a comment.

Last week decades of French restaurant Le Petit Four Closed his doors finally In the middle of a series of West Hollywood closure. Last month, after 101 years of service, the Original feeder closed And Leave Angelenos.

Newer restaurants also close in a fast clip with a series of Remarkable closures In the first half of the year, Guerilla Tacos, Cosa Buona, Sage and Wexler's Deli belonged to the Grand Central Market.

“It was a real avalanche,” said local historian and tour guide Kim Cooper. “Many, many tariffs are stacked on top of each other and people are machines.

Cooper runs Richard Schave Richard Schave with the entire husband. The two have been customers of the restaurant for years.

In particular, in view of the rash of closures and fighting of the city's oldest restaurants, Schave and Cooper hope to see more local and state programs that support Legacy companies and offer support for Bephore.

The couple suggested two potential scenarios, the cult saving the restaurant. Perhaps the new state law SB 4, which should help to build up affordable housing base on faith organizations, help to help the surrounding Greek Orthodox community

Or, they said, the cult cult cult family buys with the promise to ensure their survival, while Marc Rose and Med Abrous Fairfax Restaurant Genghis Cohen: A company now Undergo their own land sale and move.

“When people who love these hear that they are in difficulties, it has come too far and announce a closure,” said Cooper. “It feels like Los Angeles will disappear. We have to save it.”