It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing the closure of the Nickel Diner. 

Sunday, May 28th will be our last day.

The past 15 years have been an extraordinary journey, and we'd like to thank all the people in our downtown community and beyond who’ve supported us.

When we opened in 2008 at the height of the last recession, the goal was to create a neighborhood restaurant that offered handcrafted food at affordable prices. We became that and so much more, thanks to the community who embraced two women opening a Diner on Skid Row.

We've stood strong and battled many things over the past few years. However the margin for error is not as generous as it once was. Rising costs, a crowded food scene, the changing nature of downtown, have created challenges to keeping our doors open. Our restaurant model is unsustainable in these modern times.

We are so proud of what we've accomplished - with our customers, our loyal staff of over 10 years and especially the DTLA community. We will continue to focus on feeding our food insecure neighbors - they're the ones we worry about the most. We know we're going to leave a little hole in the fabric of downtown and a big hole in our hearts missing all the wonderful folks we've fed for so many years.

Thanks for all the great stories. Stay tuned for the cookbook.  


Click above to view our interview with the James Beard Foundation, where we were recently showcased as part of the James Beard Awards: Stories of Resilience and Leadership, and as RE:HER Grant Recipients.

RE:HER is a charitable organization for female-owned restaurants in Los Angeles, created amidst the COVID-19 pandemic by women who own restaurants in Los Angeles. Contributions to the "Pay It Forward" Meal Program with RE:HER have helped provide hot meals to the homeless and support consistent employment at Nickel Diner.

By producing monthly breakfast and weekly lunch meals, we’ve been able to feed the neighborhood and keep it safe by limiting exposure to the missions where risks to COVID-19 are increased. Working with Skid Row Housing, John Wesley Health Care Centers, the Downtown Women’s Center, and LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis - Nickel Diner has provided over 10,000 meals to the Downtown community.

THANK YOU to all our loyal customers for joining us to provide comfort meals to the unhoused, food-insecure folks living on the streets of Downtown LA.

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