Cole's Is Reopening in November Under Jeremy Fall, and the Bukowski Plaque Stays

Cole's is reopening. The Downtown room that has been credited with inventing the French dip, and that we covered in September when it closed after 118 years and went up for sale, is coming back in mid to late November under new ownership.

The plaque above the urinal that reads "Charles Bukowski pissed here" is staying. So is Mickey Cohen's booth.

Who Bought It

Jeremy Fall grew up two blocks away, in an apartment above his family's Angelique Cafe, and spent much of his childhood inside Cole's. He was the chef behind the former Nighthawk in Venice, was testing burgers for Easy's in Chinatown back in 2016, and is opening a permanent New York home for his smoothie pop-up Drugstore.

Sean Maloney is his partner, and he is the operations half of this. He was chief hospitality officer of the Mozza Restaurant Group and estimates he has opened eleven restaurants. Cole's is his first as an owner.

They took the keys in early August and are still in escrow, holding a temporary liquor license while they wait on full approval. Fall's account of the decision was short. Pouring With Heart reached out, and he thought about it for a day.

Cedd Moses, who ran Cole's for eighteen years, said the sale was not just about price. "We weren't gonna sell it to somebody that wasn't gonna continue the Cole's legacy," Moses said, adding that he felt the buyers had a personal connection to the place, "especially Jeremy."

What Stays

Fall has been direct about the priority. "Preserving its history is the priority," he said.

• The vintage detailing, and the bathroom plaques, Bukowski included.

• Mickey Cohen's booth.

• Atomic mustard, returning with a slightly tweaked recipe and an expanded line of sauces behind it.

• Cocktails that stay mostly classic, with a few additions, including an au jus washed martini.

What Changes

More than you might expect from a restaurant selling itself on preservation. Vintage tin ceiling tiles have been added. The pool tables are gone, replaced with more seating and a piano. And the menu is widening well past sandwiches, into white tablecloths and pasta.

Chef Daniel Nguyen, previously at Osteria Mozza and Lolo Wine Bar, is planning fresh ravioli, prime rib frites and salmon with trout roe. Clark Street Bread is testing a custom roll for the sandwich.

The dip itself is built around a 24-hour au jus that does triple duty as braising liquid, finishing sauce and the dip at the table, with dry-brined prime rib in the original. A vegan mushroom and onion version is new.

"We are really trying to make the world's best French dip because it's where it was created," Fall said.

One thing to flag: reports disagree on how many versions there will be. The Los Angeles Times describes the original, a pastrami and the vegan. What Now Los Angeles lists five, adding turkey, braised pork and braised lamb. We have not been able to reconcile that and are not going to guess.

The Varnish Room Is Still a Question

The hidden room behind the dining room, which housed the Varnish cocktail bar, has no announced future. Through the end of 2026 it will host private dining. Fall and Maloney have said a new concept is coming there and released no details.

Why This One Matters

Cole's opened in 1908 as Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet, selling carved meat sandwiches to Red Car commuters in the Pacific Electric Building. It closed on March 29, 2026, after Pouring With Heart announced the decision in July 2025, citing pandemic losses, the entertainment industry strikes and labor costs. Neal Fraser reimagined the dip starting in 2008.

We wrote about that building again in October when Hotel Clark opened on Hill Street, because the same streetcar system that fed Cole's ran past both. In a year of closures, a 118-year-old room reopening is the rarer direction.

Maloney put the ambition plainly: "I want to make it sustainable so it's here for a very long time." And: "L.A. has been very good to me, so I want to make sure that this place is here for L.A."

If You Go

• Cole's, 118 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014, Downtown

• Reopening: targeted for mid to late November 2026, pending the close of escrow and full liquor license approval

• Worth knowing: the date is a target, not an announcement. Escrow has not closed

For more LA restaurant news, see our guide to new restaurants in Los Angeles and our picks for the best food in Los Angeles.

Sourcing

The ownership change, Jeremy Fall's and Sean Maloney's backgrounds, the escrow and liquor license status, the mid to late November target, the menu details, Chef Daniel Nguyen, Clark Street Bread, the retained Bukowski plaque and Mickey Cohen booth, the tin ceiling, the removed pool tables, the Varnish room's interim use and all direct quotes from Fall, Maloney and Cedd Moses come from a Los Angeles Times report by Stephanie Breijo published October 20, 2026, read here in syndication. The 118 E 6th Street address, the reopening window and the five-sandwich list come from What Now Los Angeles, published November 4, 2026. The two outlets disagree on the number of French dip versions and we have noted that rather than resolved it. The March 29, 2026 closing date, the 1908 founding and the Pouring With Heart announcement come from that reporting and our own earlier coverage. Food Journal Magazine has not spoken with the new owners. Checked November 8, 2026.