The Original Pantry Cafe sets reopening date

Celebrating Original Pantry Cafe's reopening

The reopening follows a six-month closure due to a labor dispute and a new agreement with the employees' union.

LOS ANGELES - The Original Pantry Café, a historic downtown Los Angeles landmark, is set to reopen to the public on December 31. 

The iconic diner's new owner, real estate entrepreneur Leo Pustilnikov, and officials with Unite Here Local 11, which represents its employees, held a celebratory event outside the restaurant Thursday morning to hail an agreement that will allow the reopening of the famed restaurant with the same group of workers.

The backstory:

The pantry, which first opened in 1924, was a staple of downtown Los Angeles' dining scene until it closed on March 2. 

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The closure occurred after the restaurant's previous owner, the Richard J. Riordan administrative trust, and the Unite Here Local 11 union could not agree on a new contract. 

The union sought to ensure that employees would be retained under new ownership. The union has since credited the restaurant's reopening to "a community-led campaign, including protests, pancake fundraisers, and public pressure."

What they're saying:

In an interview with FOX 11's Gigi Graciette, Pustilnikov stated his intention to preserve the legacy of former Mayor Richard Riordan, who owned the restaurant since 1981.

Pustilnikov said there will only be minor changes to the menu and that he is also working on a new concept to replace the adjacent Riordan's Tavern.

Unite Here Local 11, the union that represents the restaurant's employees, called the reopening "a ray of hope in a dark time for our city."