LA Bids Farewell to Taix: A 99-Year-Old Echo Park Icon Closes for Luxury Apartments
Los Angeles is saying goodbye to a cherished piece of its history as Taix, the 99-year-old French restaurant in Echo Park, serves its final meals before being bulldozed to make way for a large-scale luxury apartment development. The closure, set for Sunday, has ignited an end-of-an-era frenzy, with long lines, packed tables, and loyal fans scrambling to preserve menus and memorabilia from this de facto museum of a bygone fine-dining era.
A Nexus Point for Los Angeles Faces Demolition
Taix, pronounced "Tex," first opened in 1927 and has anchored the Echo Park neighborhood since 1962, becoming a nexus point for the city rather than just a destination. For decades, it has served as a place for communion with the spirits of the past, hosting everyone from civic leaders to artists and writers in its ornate, crumbling, cavernous spaces. As Los Angeles grapples with a growing cost-of-living crisis and the loss of other historical meeting places like Cole's French Dip, Taix stands out as a poignant symbol of the city's grief over rapid change.
The restaurant's impending demolition highlights the intense gentrification roiling Echo Park, a historically blue-collar and artistic community where rents are now 19% higher than the national average. Taix has long been a safe space for the gay arts community, hosting events like "Gay Guy Night," where creatives would mingle, sip martinis, and revel in what DJ Mia Carucci described as "gorgeous chaos." However, the large 15,000 sq ft building, with massive banquet halls often empty, has become too expensive to maintain, requiring 55 employees and costly repairs.
Community Reactions and Economic Realities
During the final days, the parking lot—a rarity in today's ride-sharing era—became a hub for valet service and storytelling. Patrons like Peter Recine, a 38-year-old freelance musician, and Cassie Dailey, a 35-year-old dancer, expressed skepticism about the new 4,000 sq ft restaurant planned for the ground floor of the apartment complex. "History is so important," Dailey said, emphasizing how Taix preserves a period for future generations to enjoy.
Karri Taix, wife of owner Michael Taix, revealed that the family used personal savings to cover payroll, and without the developer Holland Partner Group, who charged only a dollar a year in rent for seven years, the restaurant would have closed in 2019. As the new location is built, the Taix family is releasing a cookbook and operating pop-ups to serve beloved dishes with less overhead.
Memories Over Mortar: The Legacy of Taix
For longtime patrons like Matthew Darrow, a 55-year-old defense contractor whose family has frequented Taix since the 1940s, the restaurant is more than its physical trappings. Darrow, who enjoyed martinis and moules maison during his final visit, noted that Taix has been rediscovered by new generations, much like other classic spots in the city. "People are the thing that animates the space," he said, reflecting on the memories made there.
As Angelenos grapple with the loss, the question remains: can the new Taix capture the same charm? While the building may be replaced, the spirit of community and history lives on in the stories of those who cherished it. In a city obsessed with reinvention, Taix reminds us that being alive and making memories truly matters, even as the physical landscape shifts.
