Wendy Greuel Dishes Up Pancakes at Du-par's

Los Angeles City Controller served up pancakes for an hour Tuesday morning where local business people, restaurant regulars and even students from her children's school at Colfax Charter were taking advantage of 40-cent pancakes at.

"Du-par's is such a landmark for the community, and it's wonderful to be out here to help out," said Greuel as a waitress helped her pin on her cap and tie on an apron. 

Greuel, a Studio City resident who also represented the area as a city council member and has announced r, passed out plates of stacked pancakes and poured out the syrup for an hour before 8 a.m. before heading off to work downtown.

“It was nice to see Wendy Greuel come in to serve us,” said Studio City businessman Jacob Castroll, of Castroll Insurance, who came in  for pancakes with his daughter, Lea Rockwood. “This is a very nice community event, something different.

Singer Natascha Corrigan, a North Hollywood resident, came in at 6 a.m. to sing a song she wrote about the restaurant:

There’s nothing I like more

 Than pancakes by the score

I tell you I’m a connoisseur

I love pancakes, give me more . . .

Corrigan, who also wrote the song commemorating the Studio City Hand Car Wash mural, said, “I love Du-par’s pancakes. Other people say they go to the Griddle or IHOP or places like that, but I always come here. And, I try to always order something else, but I always end up getting the pancakes.”

She said she was inspired the night before to write the song.

“I love the souvenir menus they have here when you can see that steaks were 35 cents,” Corrigan said. “Those were the days.”

Owner Biff Naylor, who bought the restaurant five years ago, said he helped design the former Studio City landmark Tiny Naylor’s that once was located nearby at the Laurel Canyon and Ventura boulevards intersection.

“I’m not going to be doing this every day,” Naylor said about the 40-cent pancakes, “but we have done anniversary specials like this before. Studio City is the hub of the San Fernando Valley, and it is great that this place has survived, and because of the regulars who have come here over the years.” 

Naylor pointed out, “People say what have you done to stay in business, and I just say, ‘We squeeze our own orange juice and make our own items’ so we haven’t changed, everyone else changed.”

CBS Channel 2 weatherman Rich Fields broadcast the weather reports live between 4:30 and 7 a.m. from the restaurant, and longtime regulars even dressed up for the part.

Colfax Charter school science teacher Leila Wells brought her students form the summer school program to sing “Yes, we have No Bananas” and added, “Except for the banana bread at Du-par’s.”

Lifelong Du-par’s patron Donna Cardin said she’s come to the restaurant with her mother when she was a little girl (at least 35 years), and she and her friend Kassandra Carrolll come into the restaurant in the early morning hours.

They came in dressed up for the part at 6 a.m.—Cardin dressed in the 1940’s fashions and Cardin dressed for the 1950’s.

“It was a great era, the 1950s, and this is a lovely slice of American tradition,” said Carroll, an actress from Ireland.

Cardin said, “I’ve come here with my husbands and ex boyfriends and my mother. Every time we come in here we have a good time.”

Du-par’s stood at the Studio City location since 1948. The promotion of the 40-cent pancakes is available until noon.