Olvera Street's Historic La Golondrina Cafe Closes Down

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What caused the closure? On Instagram, the owners said their lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles was too costly to sustain and they spent all of their funds towards the lawsuit.

David Gomez, the restaurant’s owner, said they also had been talking to representatives from the mayor’s office about their fight to reopen to no avail.

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“Small businesses face many challenges — from access to capital to maintaining their facilities — and the Mayor has been working to break down those barriers,” said Clara Karger, press secretary to Mayor Karen Bass. “The small businesses at El Pueblo are an important part of our city’s cultural fabric and our office is taking steps to engage with them to ensure they have the city’s full support.”

Backstory about the lawsuit: The Gomez family, which owns the restaurant, filed the lawsuit last year after running into plumbing hurdles when they bought the restaurant in 2022. The lawsuit would put the city on the hook for repair work at the restaurant since the cafe is a city-owned building.

LAist has reached out to the city attorney’s office for comment.

Legacy of La Golondrina: La Golondrina Cafe is located in the oldest brick house in Los Angeles, the Pelanconi House, built in 1855. For over 90 years, La Golondrina was a Los Angeles institution where patrons enjoyed fresh flour tortillas, margaritas and creamy flan while a mariachi band performed.

“It's sad that I don't see the city appreciating their own history,” said Paul Hanley, who helps run Casa California on Olvera Street. “Little by little, things like this are just whittling it away. I think history has a lot to teach the new generations coming in. If you don't understand your history, you don't know where you came from.”