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No Such Thing as a Free Cup of Coffee Now at Historic Pantry Restaurant
Photo by AlonsoP via Flickr
As of July 1, patrons of the Original Pantry restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles have been asked to pay for a cup of coffee with their breakfasts for the firs time in the cafe's 87-year history. Now the cuppa joe runs 50 cents, says the L.A. Times, a price change "ordered by the Original Pantry's current owner, former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan, to offset increased food costs."
Apparently few have complained--or even realized their freebie was off the menu. The Pantry manager was worried about angry backlash during breakfast, when a cup of coffee used to be an automatic free pour, but "only three or four customers have commented on the change. And none them complained." He estimates two-thirds of the customers hadn't even realized there was no charge for the coffee until this month.
During the rest of the day, the Pantry charges $1.95 for the coffee--which is much closer to the $2 and up many of us pay for a cup at Starbucks or other big coffeehouse chains. Of course, nothing beats free, but 50 cents for a cup of coffee is still a pretty great deal.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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