Du-par's

Du-par's is a diner-style restaurant in Los Angeles, California that was once a modest-sized regional chain. The first Du-par's was founded in 1938 at the Los Angeles Farmers Market by James Dunn and Edward Parsons, who combined their surnames to create the restaurant's name.[1] There is also an associated franchised restaurant located inside a Las Vegas casino.[2]

Du-par's
TypePrivate
IndustryRestaurant
Founded1938 (1938) in Los Angeles, California
FounderJames Dunn and Edward Parsons
Headquarters
Fairfax District, California
,
United States
Number of locations
1
Area served
California, Nevada
ServicesRestaurant and bakery
OwnerFrances Tario
Websitewww.dupars.net

Overview

After 20 years of ownership, the Oberst family sold the chain in 2004 to an investor group led by W.W. "Biff" Naylor, the son of noted California restaurateur Tiny Naylor (of Biff's and Tiny Naylor's restaurants), for an undisclosed amount. At the time of the sale, there were three locations, the original location at the Farmers Market, Studio City, and Thousand Oaks.[3][4] After 31 years, the Du-par's location in Thousand Oaks was closed and was slated to be replaced by a shopping center in 1991.[5] As of November 2020, the former Thousand Oaks location is currently occupied by The Original Pizza Cookery restaurant.[6]

Former Studio City location of Du-par's in 2008

Du-par's expanded in 2009 to include several locations (which includes Granada Hills, Oxnard, and San Diego) from the bankrupt Bakers Square chain.[7] A Bakers Square location in Oxnard was converted into a Du-par's in February 2009.[8] The Oxnard location later closed in August 2012.[9]

Du-par's expanded into San Diego by converting a former Bakers Square location in the Midway district in 2009.[10] The San Diego location was closed in September 2015[11] and reopened in the Gaslamp Quarter in August 2016.[12] The Gaslamp location was closed six months later in February 2017.[13]

In 2014, it was announced that Du-par's was taking over a former Hamburger Hamlet location in Pasadena.[14]

In 2010, Du-par's expanded for the first time outside California by opening a restaurant-bakery in the Golden Gate Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.[15] A second Las Vegas-area location was opened in the Suncoast Hotel and Casino in April 2016.[16] The Du-par's Restaurant & Bakery inside the Golden Gate Casino closed for financial reasons on February 7, 2017.[17][18] In March 2017, Boyd Gaming, the owners of the Suncoast Hotel and Casino, signed a licensing agreement with Du-par's to take over the management of the Du-par's restaurant inside their casino while still continuing the use of the Du-par's name and recipes.[19]

In May 2015, a new location was opened in Encino[20] and closed just 18 months later in November 2016.[21]

The Studio City location closed on December 31, 2017.[22]

The restaurant chain was purchased by former manager Frances Tario in 2018. The Pasadena location closed in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving the original Farmers Market location as the sole remaining outpost[23][24][25] in addition to a franchised location operating inside the Suncoast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.[2]

In July 2020, the struggling Farmers Market restaurant started carhop service as a means to increase business during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic[26] after trying the idea of selling pancake batter for pick-up orders in April 2020 when the Governor of California forbade dining inside restaurants.[27]

See also

References
  1. Jennings, Lisa (November 8, 2004). "Naylor to buy Du-Par's, taps Puck chef to revamp menu". Nation's Restaurant News. Archived from the original on May 21, 2005. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
  2. "Du-par's". Suncoast Hotel and Casino.
  3. Biederman, Patricia Ward (June 24, 2004). "Du-par's Changing Hands but Not Heart or Soul: The Farmers Market institution is being sold, but the new owner promises not to alter its recipe for success". Los Angeles Times.
  4. Wilcox, Gregory J. (June 24, 2004). "Du-Par's Cafe Chain Sold to Naylor Family". Los Angeles Daily News – via The Free Library.
  5. Lee, Peggy Y. (March 7, 1991). "Thousand Oaks : Planners Approve Du-par's Demolition". Los Angeles Times.
  6. "About us". The Original Pizza Cookery.
  7. McKinnon, Lisa (March 2, 2009). "Bad economy hasn't eaten at county's food industry". Ventura County Star.
  8. "Cafe Society: Ventura's old Mission Bell Cafe rings up ice-cream sales now". Ventura County Star. February 22, 2009.
  9. McKinnon, Lisa (August 25, 2012). "Cafe Society: The Cave's chef Gary Daniel pays it forward, moves on". Ventura County Star.
  10. Bedford, Ed (August 10, 2011). "Beat the Clock at Du-par's Restaurant & Bakery". San Diego Reader.
  11. Woo, Candice (September 21, 2015). "Du-par's is Downtown's New 24-Hour Dining Destination: Breakfast for dinner anyone?". Eater San Diego.
  12. Woo, Candice (August 10, 2016). "24-Hour Diner Du-par's Enters Downtown Dining Scene: Breakfast for dinner, 365 days a year". Eater San Diego.
  13. Woo, Candice (February 20, 2017). "Time's Up for Du-par's 24-Hour Diner in the Gaslamp: The eatery goes dark after just six months". Eater San Diego.
  14. "Hamburger Hamlet in Pasadena closes to become Du-par's". Pasadena Star-News. January 2, 2014.
  15. Radke, Brock (May 1, 2010). "What's become of my diner?: Good things, as it turns out, courtesy of Du-par's". Las Vegas Sun.
  16. Martin, Bradley (April 14, 2016). "Du-Par's Now 'Always Open' at Suncoast: A favorite restaurant of The Killers heads west". Eater Las Vegas.
  17. Torres-Cortez, Ricardo (February 7, 2017). "Du-Par's restaurant closes at the Golden Gate". Las Vegas Sun.
  18. Stapleton, Susan (February 7, 2017). "When the Clock Strikes Midnight, Du-par's Shutters: The 24-hour restaurant closes". Eater Las Vegas.
  19. Moore, Thomas (March 31, 2017). "Du-par's restaurant at Suncoast changing hands". Las Vegas Sun.
  20. Coser, Crystal (May 7, 2015). "Du-par's Encino Celebrates Grand Opening With Original 1938 Prices: That means you can get a hamburger, pancake, slice of pie, and coffee, all for well under a buck". Eater LA.
  21. Elliott, Farley (November 23, 2016). "Du-Par's Stops Flipping Pancakes in Encino Less than Two Years In: The diner option couldn't last in the Valley". Eater LA.
  22. Elliott, Farley (December 11, 2017). "Classic Valley Diner Du-Par's Will Depart Studio City on January 1: The company wants to return to the Valley, they just don't know where". Eater LA.
  23. Nichols, Chris (July 27, 2020). "Some of L.A.'s Most Beloved Institutions Are Threatened with Extinction". Los Angeles.
  24. Bermont, Bradley (May 19, 2020). "Has Du-par's Pasadena location closed for good?". Pasadena Star-News.
  25. "Du-Pars Restaurant Shutters Pasadena Location Permanently Due To Pandemic-Related Financial Struggles". KCBS-TV. May 20, 2020.
  26. Folven, Edwin (July 16, 2020). "Classic carhop service at Du-par's brings back the casual dining of yesteryear". Beverly Press.
  27. Schena, Susan C. (April 20, 2020). "Du-par's Legendary Pancake Batter Will Get You Through Lockdown". Yahoo! News.
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