Citing rent, beloved Greek restaurant and market Papa Cristo’s to close

The exterior of the restaurant building is painted white, and blue lettering reads "Papa Cristo's Greek Restaurant Since 1948."

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The owner of Papa Cristo’s, a beloved Greek restaurant and market that’s been in the Pico-Union neighborhood for more than 70 years, said he’ll close his doors next month.

Owner Chrys Chrys told LAist rising rent was the culprit. The property on Pico Boulevard has been listed for sale with a $5.2 million asking price; the broker on the listing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Chrys said the news has hit employees hard.

“[They are] devastated, they love this place. This is their home. This is what they do, where they’ve been for the last 25-30 years,” Chrys told LAist.

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Chrys said it was becoming more difficult to run a restaurant.

“The rent got too high ... and there’s nothing we can do about it. ... Tenants are pawns to the landlords,” he added.

Papa Cristo's Greek Restaurant and Market

Location: 2771 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles
Phone: (323) 737-2970
Hours: Wed.–Thurs. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Fri.–Sun. 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pick-up/market hours are roughly the same.

A local landmark

Local preservationists Kim Cooper and Richard Schave, who run Esotouric tours, said Papa Cristo’s catered their wedding.

“It’s just a place where you feel good,” Cooper told LAist. “You walk in there, it is egalitarian, it’s not expensive,” she said.

Papa Cristo’s becomes a busy community space, she added, for patrons of the nearby Greek Orthodox church on Sundays.

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“Everyone loves it,” she said.

Cooper and Schave said they’re hopeful that the restaurant and market can be reincarnated as what’s known as an anchor business for a future affordable housing development.

“It’s the perfect opportunity for ... the community to just say, ‘Let’s cherish this and keep it going,’” Cooper said. The preservationists imagined a scenario in which a religious nonprofit could step in to create affordable housing on the site while also keeping the restaurant and market alive.

A white plate rests on a surface adorned with a white and blue checkered tablecloth. On the plate, there is half of a dark-brown roasted chicken alongside a serving of cooked red potatoes. Behind the chicken, a small salad is placed next to a piece of pita bread folded in half. Three different sauce containers, each with a plastic lid, are arranged alongside the salad and pita bread, containing various sauces.

About the food

Papa Cristo’s is famous for their rack of lamb, kebabs and other other classic Greek dishes.

The eatery was featured in January as part of LAist Food Editor Gab Chabrán’s “Cheap Fast Eats” series.

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From Gab:

Local landmark Papa Cristo's is located in the Byzantine-Latino Quarter, which initially housed many Greek immigrants in the 1930s and '40s. Having been there since the beginning, the marketplace/restaurant offers a wide variety of Greek food, including gyros, racks of lamb, grilled baby octopus and spanakopita.

Chrys said Greek food lovers have until May 4 to stop by for a final visit. He said he doesn’t have plans to relocate.