Iconic Gladstone’s restaurant set to close after 50 years in business

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Assistant General Manager Alexander Pension, with Gladstone's employees, smiles for a photo before opening the restaurant on Thursday, Aug. 24. Photo by Samantha Bravo/TMT

Wolfgang Puck plans to open new restaurant at the location 

After 50 years, Gladstone’s is set to close for good. The last day to order from the iconic restaurant at Sunset and Pacific Coast Highway is said to be Sept. 15. 

That’s the date a concessions agreement with the county runs out. The agreement was with the restaurant’s last owner, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who passed away in April. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has had his eye on the spot for years and made a proposal to the county to take over the spot five years ago. Puck has teamed with famed architect Frank Gehry to build an entire new look for the space that is said to include a walkup window for to-go orders, a public deck, and a stop for the Big Blue Bus in an effort to provide more access to the beach. 

If the Puck arrangement goes as planned, demolition would begin in 2024 with a new restaurant debuting sometime in 2025. Twenty years ago, Gladstone’s was the highest-grossing restaurant in all of Los Angeles. It was remodeled 10 years ago, but never again reached its former popularity. It’s named Gladstone’s Malibu, but it is technically in Pacific Palisades.