LAUS Harvey House For Lease

[WhoozOn1st]

Following Union Station's recent purchase by L.A. Metro, the long-vacant historic Harvey House restaurant space has come on the market under the auspices of commercial property services firm CB Richard Ellis:

EDIT: For valued readers in Greater Southern California, this Fred Harvey space is sure to be open to the public on National Train Day L.A., Saturday 5-7-11. Using past as prelude, the area will likely host exhibits and demonstrations, and makes a fine photo backdrop.

More at this blog: Union Station's Fred Harvey to Finally Get a Permanent Restaurant Tenant?

"The Fred Harvey's decor -- including its striped floor, center bar and leather booths -- makes it an eye-popping location. There's also a small bar in an adjacent room. The biggest problem: No functioning kitchen, as it ceased to be usable years ago. (Caterers must now prepare food in tents outside) The restroom facilities will also have to be updated."

What a great addition to layover food options that would be...

 

[Eris]

What a great addition to layover food options that would be...

I'd rather see LAUS finally get a real Metropolitan Lounge.

 

[Gratt]

The location is great, you have a steady stream of foot traffic, but who on earth would want to set up a restaurant without a kitchen?

The tent option is a poor one for long term use as it is not very secure and affected by weather conditions (LA might have great weather but not every day)

I don't know who wold be interested until that issue is fixed.

 

[Dan O]

Where is this in relation to the main doors you walk in and out of? I am having trouble picturing it.

Thanks,

Dano

 

[Tumbleweed]

What is the square footage? It appears there would be sufficient room to build a kitchen......

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Where is this in relation to the main doors you walk in and out of?

Okay, let's say you've arrived at Union Station aboard a train and are heading out the main doors to Alameda Street (maybe on your way to Philippe's). Walking through the main hall, past the chairs and news stand in the waiting area, there are doors on the left - before you get to the main doors - between Union Bagel and the Traxx bar. Through these doors is a breezeway, and the Harvey House restaurant space is straight through the breezeway. On the left of the breezeway is a nice courtyard, which on Train Day L.A. should also have booths and tables and such.

EDIT: Here's an angle on the Harvey space that probably won't be available, even on Train Day L.A. The view from above is out the doors and across the above-mentioned breezeway to the doors of the Union Station main hall. From this perspective the courtyard is out the doors and to the right, while the station main entrance and Alameda Street are to the left.

Harvey House restaurant space at Los Angeles Union Station. Photo by KC Rawley.

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[Dan O]

Where is this in relation to the main doors you walk in and out of?

Okay, let's say you've arrived at Union Station aboard a train and are heading out the main doors to Alameda Street (maybe on your way to Philippe's). Walking through the main hall, past the chairs and news stand in the waiting area, there are doors on the left - before you get to the main doors - between Union Bagel and the Traxx bar. Through these doors is a breezeway, and the Harvey House restaurant space is straight through the breezeway. On the left of the breezeway is a nice courtyard, which on Train Day L.A. should also have booths and tables and such.

Thanks so much. I have been in the breezeway and courtyard.

Thanks again for the info. I will look closer next time I am there.

Dan

 

[dlagrua]

The Fred Harvey and Harvey House resturants were all nice places. I am doing considerable reading about them and getting an appreciation for a resturanmt chain that featured elegant decor (that served gormet food) and also maintained smaller resturants along the RR lines (at the stations) for the train traveler in a hurry. The chain was famous for its "Harvey Girls"- waitresses who were all dressed modestly in a long white dress offset in black and with simple ornamentation. That existed in a different time but it would be nice seeing some of the major stations restore some of the restaurant areas to their former beauty. At is peak, the Harvey Company had numerous locations from Chicago westward. Some of their original recipes can be found in the book "Dining by Rail" and they were elaborate to say the least.

 

[DesertRat]

We have a Harvey House here in Barstow CA. Caso del Deseirto, and I believe it was the last one built. I aw the Harvey House at LAUS but I don't think I got any pics....will check.

The question about the kitchen is a good one. Even if one is there it can't be very updated, can it?

 

[WhoozOn1st]

We have a Harvey House here in Barstow CA. Caso del Deseirto, and I believe it was the last one built.

Casa del Desierto opened to passengers in 1911, so is celebrating its centennial this year. I suppose it's possible that the Barstow location was the last Harvey House tied directly to the Santa Fe railroad, but the one at L.A. Union Station opened along with the depot in 1939.

Barstow Depot and Casa del Desierto. Photo by David Corby.

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[reefgeek]

This is a fascinating if exhaustive look at the life of Fred Harvey and the Harvey Houses. Fred was a real Horatio Alger story, a guy who came from England to America with nothing and found his true calling, made his millions through innovation and hard work. A good read.

Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West--One Meal at a Time

 

[afigg]

The location is great, you have a steady stream of foot traffic, but who on earth would want to set up a restaurant without a kitchen?

The tent option is a poor one for long term use as it is not very secure and affected by weather conditions (LA might have great weather but not every day)

I don't know who wold be interested until that issue is fixed.

The article on the former Harvey Restaurant does not say that it has no kitchen, only that it does not have a functioning kitchen. So part of the cost to open a restaurant there would be to restore or totally rebuild the kitchen or build a new one, along with the restrooms. If the place has not been used as a restaurant for so long, there will likely be a lot of modern code compliance issues to deal with as well.

Part of the cost of opening just about any restaurant.