Fast Food Gives Way to Gourmet at 6th and Grand
Lauren Mattia
Carl's Jr. at 6th and Grand will be closing on Friday and will be the future home of a more upscale bar/restaurant.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Today's patrons at Carl's Jr. on 6th and Grand may not know it yet, but they are some of the last customers that this location will serve after over 20 years of business.
"In the late 80s, [Carl's Jr.] did a lot better," says Eric Schomof of Pacific Investments, owner of the Milano Lofts. "But Downtown has been changing-- the demographic has changed a lot."
Replacing the burgers and fries will be Industriel, restaurateur Armen Hakobyan and Ari Babaei's second eatery. The duo opened Old Pasadena's Green Street Tavern in 2008. Renderings posted on Flo Design Studio's Facebook show that Industriel will be a "farmhouse mod abstraction and an unrivaled mix of art and industrial elements."
While Industriel's menu is not yet available, Green Street Tavern features "the finest California Comfort Food with a European influence" and has 218 reviews as well as a four star rating on Yelp.
Hakobyan and Babaei are new to Downtown but are "Downtown believers," said Schomof.
Schomof is a supporter of the upscale restaurants becoming an integral part of Downtown's revival. "The bad pockets are beginning to connect with good areas," he said. "There are a lot of beautiful areas--it's just the one or two blocks in between that are a problem."
For most of Carl's Jr's 20 years on 6th and Grand, L.A.'s homeless have panhandled for change outside of the restaurant. "They say they want money to buy a burger when in reality they will do something else with it," Schomof said.
Both Schomof and the owners of the business came to an agreement that the restaurant closure was the best solution to the Downtown revitalization effort.
Schomof notes that the process of bringing in new businesses is a labor of love. "We are always working with owners and restaurants, doing what we can to get these businesses off the ground."
Dion on January 27, 2011, at 04:26PM – #1
Fantastic. i cant wait. that corner is gonna be a good extension from the standard, library bar area, as well as from upper grand.
Creg Thrmas on January 27, 2011, at 04:47PM – #2
Ugh, way past time to move from downtown. It's getting obnoxiously and overwhelmingly yubbified.
Jim Winstead on January 27, 2011, at 06:46PM – #3
i think you lost the part of the article when you identified who 'Schomof' is.
baddicus on January 27, 2011, at 07:05PM – #4
I used to see the biggest rats crawling around there at night. Well this was about ten years ago, so the rats are no more, right?
derblut on January 27, 2011, at 07:38PM – #5
@ Creg - You're welcome to leave. The rest of us are going to enjoy what downtown is becoming.
Brigham Yen on January 28, 2011, at 12:32AM – #6
I agree with derblut. You are more than welcome to leave Creg. No one is forcing you to stay.
Ken Hall on January 28, 2011, at 10:41AM – #7
Yay!...Welcome to the neighborhood!!
Jamie DeFrisco on January 28, 2011, at 11:00AM – #8
There's a Carl's Jr. at 7th and Broadway. I'm saddened to see lower cost food disappearing and being replaced by more expensive eateries. You can gentrify a neighborhood without losing low cost businesses.
baddicus - There's still rats roaming around downtown. The only time I saw them nearly disappear is when they had the stray cats roaming around.
readering on January 28, 2011, at 11:17AM – #9
There's another Carl's Junior at 5th and Hope--one block away.
Downtown Cowboy on January 28, 2011, at 02:26PM – #10
Thrilled they are coming downtown. That's actually a terrific corner location. As a downtown resident I love what's happening.
Rich on January 28, 2011, at 06:30PM – #11
I agree that we need more affordable options in Downtown, but fast food isn't the way to do it. Good riddance to Carl's Jr.
Much luck to the new owners, and I hope we get to try your food when you open!
Jamie DeFrisco on January 31, 2011, at 10:13AM – #12
I enjoy fast food. I find it sad that I have to drive out of downtown in order to get most fast food. Part of living downtown is to have everything nearby.
I'm not sad about losing a Carl's Jr. because there's enough others downtown. I was sad when we lost the Taco Bell, Arby's and Yoshinoya.