Crime & Safety

Du-par's Plans to Open Thursday After Fire

It's the first time in 64 years that the Ventura Boulevard location ever closed.

Du-par’s Restaurant on Ventura Boulevard plans to re-open Thursday morning after a minor electrical fire shut it down for a little more than 24 hours, the store manager said.

“We have been opened continuously all this time, this is the first time it has been closed after all these years,” said manager Louis Cardenas to Studio City Patch on Wednesday afternoon as the fire inspector was looking at the kitchen in the back of the restaurant. The employee who was taken to the hospital was looked at and released.

It made it through major earthquakes. It survived power outages, ferocious storms, even a few wars, but the Du-par’s in Studio City was always opened, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on Ventura Boulevard since 1948. 

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The hard-to-read yellow note that said "Sorry We're Closed" at the side and front entrances was difficult to believe for people passing by on Wednesday.

The Du-par’s franchise started originally in 1938 at the Farmers Market on Third Street and Fairfax by James Dunn ("Du") and Edward Parsons ("Par"). That location was closed briefly for renovations and re-opened in 2007.  W.W. "Biff" Naylor, who owned the Tiny Naylor’s that was also in Studio City not far away, bought the chain in 2004.

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Some of the employees came to work and helped clean up the restaurant.

“We have had no damage,” Cardenas said. “It was very minor.”

Known for its comfort food and home-made pies, the restaurant is a place where many people come to spend Christmas, birthdays, New Year's Even and other special occasions.

The Christmas tree was still blinking with lights near the entrance, and the doors were all opened (with tape across) to air out some of the smoke. 

A total of 51 firefighters responded to the blaze at 10:57 p.m. Tuesday at 12036 Ventura Blvd., said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. It was knocked down in 18 minutes.  About a dozen people were escorted outside.

On the restaurant website was the note:

Hi Folks. We are temporarily closed. Our back storage unit caught fire (electrical) last night, but we are so grateful that everyone is Ok. Thank you for your concern. We will re-open once we get the green light. Please stay tuned.

Well, for just a little more than 24 hours, Du-par’s was closed. They’ll be ready to start making holiday pies and be in full gear Thursday morning again.


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