Clifton's is back, but the name is still split
Opinion: Clifton's dining room reopens Nov. 19 under a working name, while someone else owns the brand. The immersive plan may save the building, but the diner is at risk.
By LA This Weekend Team · November 11, 20261 view
Clifton's dining room is scheduled to reopen Nov. 19 after an 18-month closure, according to Marketing Herald, which credited the Los Angeles Times. The 1935 landmark spans five stories on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. It will run under a working name, Sanctuary, because the people operating it do not control the Clifton's name. The Times reported on Nov. 10 that the building was recently sold and that the former owner kept the name.
That arrangement tells you a lot about where downtown stands. A historic building has a new owner, new operators, a plan for an immersive show and a brand that belongs to someone else. I think the building will probably survive this way. I also think the people who loved the old diner have a right to be wary. Both things can be true, and the next two years will show which one wins.
What to know
- Marketing Herald reported that Clifton's dates to 1935 and occupies five stories in downtown Los Angeles.
- Andrew Meieran bought the Broadway building in 2010 and invested more than $14 million in renovations, including the tiki bar, according to Marketing Herald.
- Meieran recently sold the building to the Robhana Group but kept the name and intellectual property, the story reported.
- Operators Neil Biondich and Alex McCullough run events and ticketing as Sanctuary. The official Clifton's website and social feeds show paused programming, Marketing Herald reported.
- The first restaurant is targeted for early 2027 and a second, more upscale restaurant for late 2027. The operators also plan a daily live-action role-playing game and an augmented-reality app.
- The building currently operates Thursday through Sunday, serving a limited menu that includes a burger and fish tacos on open days.
Why it matters
Meieran's own words are the sharpest. He said Clifton's is "not a restaurant," "not a bar" and "not a theme park," and he described the difficulty of serving cafeteria patrons, nightlife guests, tourists and families at once. He is right that the place has never fit one box. That is part of why it has lasted. It is also why the new operators are betting on an experience with several layers, not a diner with a fresh coat of paint.
I am not convinced the immersive plan is the answer, but I understand it. Biondich told Marketing Herald, "We're not looking to radically change what this place looks and feels like." The restaurant will run by day and early evening, and the bars will come alive at night with actors in monster garb. A building this size on Broadway needs more than a limited menu on open days. If the immersive layer pays the rent and the restaurant returns to the room, that beats an empty landmark. The risk is that the game becomes the point and the cafeteria becomes a set.
The downtown context makes this more than one building. Marketing Herald reported that downtown has struggled since the pandemic, with many office workers still away and many businesses gone. Cole's is set to reopen in coming weeks, and the Original Pantry will return, according to the same story. Clifton's can be a reason to walk downtown, or it can be a ticketed event that people attend and leave. The operators have a chance to make it the first. They should be judged on whether the Thursday-to-Sunday hours grow into everyday hours.
The name split is the part that needs fixing. Meieran says he kept the brand because Clifton's is a rare, only-in-California business and he has not ruled out reviving it elsewhere. Biondich says the two sides have not reached an agreement, though each wants a Clifton's revival. A landmark is held by its stories as much as its walls. Until the building and the name are in the same hands, the story stays split between them.
The other side
The strongest counterpoint is that a landmark on uncertain footing does not get to be picky. Meieran invested more than $14 million and says running a large downtown nightlife company has proved difficult. The new owners and operators have a plan that brings people in on nights and weekends. The alternative, in this telling, is a dark building on Broadway. Biondich also says the lower-level restaurant will honor the venue's legacy, including a Jell-O dish. Those who want the old Clifton's back will have to accept that the business has changed, and that a revival may need to be a blend.
Where this comes from
This piece draws on a Los Angeles Times report by Rebecca Castillo and Todd Martens, published Nov. 10, 2026, titled "Clifton's is back (sort of)," and on a Marketing Herald article by Tom Whitfield, published Nov. 10, 2026, which credits the Los Angeles Times for its reporting on the operators' plans.
Photo: Clifton's Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles by The Erica Chang, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About this opinion
This article is an opinion piece. The views in it belong to the writer and the LA This Weekend Team, and they do not represent the views of any business, venue, advertiser or public official mentioned. Facts were taken from the outlets named above as they were reported on the date shown. Restaurant hours, prices and openings can change, so check with the venue before you go. This is not a paid placement and no business paid for coverage. Information here is not professional advice of any kind.
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LA This Weekend Team