Downtown's Cliftons Cafeteria Closes For Remodel

The new owner of downtown's kitschy Cliftons Cafeteria is shutting the restaurant down from three to six months to make some major changes, reports the L.A. Times:

The kitschy forest-themed restaurant at Broadway and 7th Street that has served millions of Angelenos will get several upgrades, including a new kitchen, said developer and nightclub impresario Andrew Meieran, who bought control of the business a year ago.

"The newest equipment was from 1949," said Meieran, who will keep some of the old pieces such as giant mixers and boiling pots around as decoration. Some of the oldest gear dates from about 1915, when the building was home to a Boos Brothers cafeteria.

The linear cafeteria that served up pot roast, mashed potatoes, Jell-O and other comfort food will be reconfigured into "pod stations" to smooth the flow of tray-wielding customers, he said. The focus on familiar fare will remain, as will the woodsy dining room with multiple mezzanine decks, a 20-foot waterfall and fake redwood trees.

In addition to upgrading such infrastructure as the plumbing and electrical systems, Meieran will tear off the metal facade obscuring the front of the brick building that was attached in 1960 as part of a modernization effort.

I'm sure preservationists will be keeping a close eye -- but so far this sounds like a good thing. Read our past posts about Clifton's here.