‘We’ve lost our way’: Clifton’s operator gives up on downtown Los Angeles

The owner of Los Angeles’ legendary Clifton’s has backed out of reopening the shuttered location.

He says it’s very difficult to do business in the historic core of downtown.

Andrew Meieran purchased Clifton’s on Broadway in 2010 and spent more than $14 million on repairs, renovations and improvements, adding additional bar and restaurant space to the four-story building. In 2018, he realized demand for cafeteria food was too low to be profitable and pivoted to a nightclub and lounge concept called Clifton’s Republic, which included multiple eating and drinking venues. To generate more interest, Meieran experimented with elaborately themed environments such as tiki bars and jungle playgrounds, and tried renting out the venue for large events.

It’s never been easy, but during and since the pandemic, the neighborhood has become increasingly unsafe as the city center has emptied of office workers and visitors.

The street behind Clifton’s Cafeteria in the downtown historic district on Tuesday.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Vandalism has reached its peak and graffiti can be seen on the historical structure almost every day. Vandals would use acid or diamond glass cutters to deface windows, often breaking the glass. Replacing the windows would cost Meieran more than $30,000 each time. He said insurance companies either stopped offering policies covering vandalism or increased premiums by as much as 600 percent.

He said there was constant crime in the area, including numerous attacks on people in front of his building. He last closed the place last year, hoping things would improve and he could come back with a worthwhile business. He gave up now. Someone else could take over the site, or even the name of the historic site, but has given up trying.

“We lost our way,” Meieran said. “I want to go up to the tops of skyscrapers and shout that people need to pay attention to this.”

The frustration of a business leader who was once one of downtown Los Angeles’ biggest supporters highlights the persistent safety concerns, rising costs and declining foot traffic that are making it increasingly difficult for even iconic businesses to survive.

The once-popular institution dates back to 1935, when Broadway was the city’s entertainment hub, a Great Depression-era cafeteria and kitschy oasis selling up to 15,000 meals a day.

Traditional cafeteria fare like pot roast, mashed potatoes and Jell-O were served in a wooded cave among false redwoods and a stone-lined waterfall reminiscent of Northern California’s Brookdale Lodge.

This isn’t the only once-prominent destination that hasn’t found a way to thrive in today’s market. Cole’s, one of Los Angeles’ most famous restaurants and often credited as the inventor of the French dip sandwich, closed last month after 118 years in business.

“The biggest problem for us and the rest of the industry is the high cost of doing business,” said Cedd Moses, who runs Cole’s and has supported many other bars and restaurants in downtown historic buildings for decades. “This is what’s killing independent restaurants in this city.”

Outside the Clifton Cafeteria.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Andrew Meieran, owner of Clifton’s Republic, stands next to a boat on the top floor of the historic restaurant in 2024.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Clifton has opened and closed numerous times during the pandemic, and recently suffered extensive damage after a pipe burst. Meieran opened it for special events like last Halloween, but otherwise it was closed.

Police are unfortunately understaffed and hindered by public policy, said Blair Besten, president of the downtown Historic Core Business Improvement District, a nonprofit organization that organizes graffiti cleanup, trash pickup and security patrols in the area.

Businesses and residents in the area said they wanted to see more police presence, but people outside the city center were protesting against it.

“People are starting to see the fruits of the defunding movement,” he said. “This hasn’t gotten us to a better place as a city.”

The Los Angeles Police Department is making progress downtown, with violent crimes down more than 10% from last year, Capt. Kelly Muniz said.

“While we work hard to solve crimes, to prevent crime, there are still elements like litter, outdoor drug use, homelessness, graffiti,” he said. “We’re swinging in the right direction.”

Real estate broker Derrick Moore of CBRE, who helps arrange commercial property leases, said retailers are opting out of downtown Los Angeles. Brands have gravitated to nearby, more vibrant neighborhoods like Echo Park and Silver Lake.

“Many operators choose to bypass the downtown area,” he said. “They rent space elsewhere where they think they have a better chance of selling.”

A man walks past a pile of garbage left on the street in the historical district.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

While some businesses remain struggling, many downtown residents say their sense of safety has improved and the area is experiencing a revival.

“A lot of people live here. I think people forget that,” Besten said. “We’re all surviving. It’s very difficult for all businesses to survive.”

A green shot for the Historic Core is Art Night on the first Thursday of each month, when 50 or 60 venues, including permanent art galleries and pop-up galleries in unused storefronts, display art to mapped visitors who come for the occasion.

They often go to Spring Street bars, which are more developed on weekend nights but still attract downtown attention.

“I think nightlife will thrive downtown because the bars attract people who don’t mind a slightly grittier atmosphere,” Moses said. “Fortunately, our sales at our downtown bars are reaching new records, but our costs have increased significantly.”

Clifton’s Cafeteria closed sign.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Meieran, a former Clifton backer, says he doesn’t think business will recover enough to warrant bigger investments. It has sold the building and its owner is looking for a new tenant to replace Clifton. Still name-checking Clifton.

While there’s still a chance he’ll let someone else use the Clifton’s name, Meieran’s done for now; There are so many bad memories.

“There was a guy who was terrorizing the front of Clifton because he decided he wanted to live in the front entrance and didn’t want us to do surgery there,” Meieran said. “He would threaten to kill anyone who came.”

He doesn’t believe the official statistics that show the crime and homelessness rate in the area is very low, and he doesn’t want to restart a business when criminals can so easily write off his hard work.

“What business with thin margins can survive this anyway?” he said.