Grand Central Market in Downtown LA has been around for over 100 years, and the building has remained relatively unchanged for that duration. Food stalls have come and gone, but the open air bazaar continues to thrive. This year, there’s much turnover in the hall, with older businesses leaving and upstarts launching.
Chiles Secos, which specialized in dry goods, has left after decades. “As one of the oldest [market] vendors, the operator Rocio Lopez inherited this stand from her father. It was where everyone all over town used to buy mole and chilis that were just outstanding. She retired. She was ready to do it, and no one else wanted to keep the stand going,” says Eater LA’s Mona Holmes, referring to reporting from the LA Times.
Stands that were considered gentrifiers in previous years are now leaving too. Clark Street Bread, DTLA Cheese, and PBJLA have all made the move out. “This is the ebb and flow of the restaurant world. This is what happens. People move on, people run out of money,” Holmes notes.
The sheer number of people exiting does make for a noticeable change to Holmes and others. “A lot of old timers, people who are longtime LA residents, are finding that it's not the same. … They feel that more monied restaurants -- groups with lots of money and a lot of backing -- are moving into these spaces that used to be inhabited by those who didn't have that type of profile.”
Still, Holmes remains hopeful for the market’s future.
“I can absolutely tell you right now that the owners are trying to achieve some kind of balance to make sure that it doesn't feel too, for lack of a better term, “hipster-y.” I definitely see them wanting to respect the space and make sure that it still continues to serve all of Los Angeles.”