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Can’t get enough of LA’s diners? This social club might be for you
The counter was full on The Pantry's last day open in March 2025.
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Dañiel Martinez
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LAist
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A club dedicated to the appreciation of classic diners
Love classic diners? Well there's an entire social club dedicated to appreciating them. Robert Garrova spoke with the person behind the Diner Preservation Society .
If you’re mourning the — probably — impending closure of Cole’s downtown or one of the other handful of classic Los Angeles eateries we’ve lost in the past few years, you might find camaraderie in a local social club.
For about a year now, Jake Hook has been hosting monthly meetings of the Diner Preservation Society. "Diner" is a loose term for the group.
At classic joints like Philippe’s and the recently closed Papa Cristo’s, attendees talk about their favorite eateries and what they can do to save the ones we’re at risk of losing.
“Diners are the classic American third space. They are where communities happen. And you can see that by how worked up people get when diners close,” Hook said.
Take the recent closure of the Pantry downtown. Now it looks as if it will be reopening, but Hook said people from across the city showed up in droves before it shuttered.
“So much so that the wait on the last day was about seven hours. And I endured all seven hours,” they told LAist.
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A meeting of the Diner Preservation Society
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Courtesy Jake Hook
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A philosophy professor by day, Hook’s enduring love of diners led them to compile a massive list of classic joints in our region. And this month, they launched the "Diner Theory" podcast, which delves into topics “at the intersection of food and philosophy.”
Hook, 31, said they think younger generations are looking for spaces that feel more human in an increasingly online world. And diners fill that void.
“It’s something that unites people who have lived here from generation to generation to have these experiences in roughly the same way. And I think that’s valuable for forming some kind of citywide identity,” they said.
Plus, there’s really good, cheap food.
If you’d like to attend the next meeting of the Diner Preservation Society, visit their Substack to learn more.
Upcoming club meetings:
Shakers
601 Fair Oaks Ave.
South Pasadena
Saturday at 10 a.m.
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Bun N Burger
1000 E. Main St.
Alhambra
Dec. 13 at 10 a.m.
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