The restaurant landscape in Los Angeles is once again facing significant upheaval, with a number of notable closures occurring in June 2025.
These closures come in the wake of a tumultuous few years, beginning with the fallout from the global pandemic in 2020, compounded by the Hollywood labor strikes in 2023, which have continued to disrupt the industry into 2025.
Rising costs related to labor, rent, and ingredients, along with adverse weather conditions and the lingering effects of the 2025 fires, have created an increasingly challenging environment for restaurant owners who often operate on razor-thin margins.
One high-profile closure this month is Nusr-Et, the Beverly Hills outpost of Nusret Gökçe, famously known as Salt Bae.
The steakhouse shut its doors on June 4, just four years after it first opened in 2021.
This closure occurs as Gökçe’s global steakhouse chain looks to expand further internationally into cities like Mexico City, Rome, and Ibiza.
Also closing this month is Bang Bang Noodles, a Chinese hand-pulled noodle shop in Culver City’s Citizens Public Market.
This location, which was the first permanent outpost after starting as a pop-up in 2020, announced its closure recently.
While the Culver City branch has shuttered, the Downtown location of Bang Bang Noodles continues to operate.
Verve Coffee Roasters also announced its closure on June 1 after a decade of service in Downtown LA.
The Spring Street café, which opened in January 2015, was known for its signature lineup of coffee drinks, pastries, and partnered juice offerings.
In an Instagram post, Verve stated that the evolving landscape of Downtown made it unsustainable to continue operations at that location, though they express a continued commitment to the LA community with another location in the Arts District.
Another notable closure is Here’s Looking at You, which ceased operations on June 13 after almost ten years serving the Koreatown neighborhood.
Opened by the late chef Jonathan Whitener and Lien Ta in 2016, this restaurant had established a reputation for its unique, cross-cultural menu and creative cocktails.
Its closure was coincident with the end of its 10-year lease on the premises, marking the end of an era for this innovative establishment.
In Echo Park, Elf Cafe closed its doors on June 1 after nearly two decades of serving the community.
Launched as a vegan restaurant in 2006, Elf Cafe became known for its Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
After halting operations indefinitely in 2020 due to the pandemic, it reopened in early 2023 but ultimately could not sustain its operations, reflective of changing clientele patterns.
Lastly, La Azteza Tortilleria, a cherished burrito stand in Boyle Heights, locked its original location on Caesar Chavez Boulevard on June 13.
However, patrons need not despair, as the establishment has relocated to a new permanent spot on Atlantic and Beverly Boulevards, continuing its beloved offerings.
The steady stream of closures highlights the ongoing challenges facing the Los Angeles restaurant scene, as many establishments grapple with the evolving economic landscape and shifting consumer habits.
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