Hospitality experts Jeremy Fall and Sean Maloney are teaming up to bring back Cole’s French Dip after the iconic restaurant closed in March
One of L.A.’s oldest restaurants is making a comeback. Cole’s French Dip closed back in March after 118 years in business. The rumored inventor of the French Dip sandwich cited higher operating costs and rising rents, as well as never quite recovering from financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, among “a litany of reasons” for the closure.
Former chef and hospitality entrepreneur Jeremy Fall is teaming up with former Mozza Restaurant Group chief of hospitality officer Sean Maloney to revive the historic restaurant, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“I grew up downtown, so I was going to Cole’s as a kid,” Fall told the L.A. Times. “Seeing the oldest restaurant close, such a historical landmark, was really sad. It wasn’t this movie-esque spark where I was like, ‘I need to jump and do this.’ But when (Pouring With Heart) reached out I thought about it for a day, and I was like, ‘You know what? Maybe I should just try to see if I can pull this off.’”
The iconic establishment opened its doors in 1908 as Cole’s Pacific Electric Buffet and sold carved-meat sandwiches to Red Car commuters. Over the years, it evolved into the legendary bar it became known as, attracting all sorts of characters including Mickey Cohen and Charles Bukowski.
The sale has been in the works for over a year, well before the previous owner, Pouring With Heart hospitality group, announced the iconic restaurant’s closure in July 2025. A wealth of community support later delayed the closure to March 2026.
Fall and Maloney, in partnership with new head chef Daniel Nguyen, plan to create a menu celebrating old favorites while adding new favorites. The iconic French Dip and atomic mustard the establishment is known for will be joined by new dishes such as fresh ravioli, prime rib frites and salmon with trout roe.
“Preserving its history is the priority,” Fall told the L.A. Times, “but we also have to be mindful of being able to keep the doors open with menu expansion. People love history, but the reason it was closing is because people weren’t going to Cole’s.”
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Cole’s will remain in the same spot on E. 6th Street, with the same iconic neon sign lighting up the storefront. Fall and Maloney are currently awaiting full approval of their temporary liquor license in order to close escrow and complete the sale. The pair hope to reopen the establishment around mid-November.
Dining and Cooking