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Bottega Louie, the downtown LA restaurant that's perhaps as well-known for being one of the first to open on 7th Street as it is for being notoriously loud, is about to get even larger. The already-expansive restaurant is adding a kitchen, tasting room, training facilities and headquarters offices across the street.
Bottega Louie was an integral part of turning Downtown L.A. into the hipster Mecca it is today. They opened up in 2009 in the old Brooks Brothers space which was built in 1912. Now many other businesses have moved in, capitalizing on the gorgeous art deco architecture in the up-and-coming neighborhood.
Says the L.A. Times:
Now the former offices upstairs are upscale apartments called the Brockman Lofts, where tenants pay as much as $8,000 a month for a two-bedroom unit. Other restaurants and bars such as Mo-Chica, Mas Malo, Coco Laurent and Sugarfish have opened on 7th Street, and hundreds of apartments have been built or are under construction nearby.
The reason for purchasing more space is that the restaurant currently is making their rainbow of signature macarons and other pastries off-site. This will streamline the system for the company, which employs 350 employees and serves about 15,000 guests a week.
Though we've never personally been a fan of the loud noise and the mediocre service, there's no denying that this purveyor of macarons, portabello fries, and pizza has become the team to beat in the area. Mas Malo followed their lead, as did Coco Laurent and Mo Chica. But as busy as those spots are, Bottega is still the team to beat. There hasn't been a single instance we've walked by and seen empty tables. But who knows, perhaps having the supply chain closer will remedy the service issues we've had.
