On the afternoon before the Original Saugus Cafe’s closing weekend, the lunch rush extended out the door and down the sidewalk.
If the line reduced as tables opened up, newcomers quickly took their place. In the accordion slide of customers escaping into Saugus Cafe’s old-school interior from Friday’s gray rain, some were saying goodbye to a restaurant they’d known for decades; others didn’t even know it was closing.
Those who did said they were sorry to see a uniquely historic Los Angeles County landmark go.
“There’s very few old historic places in L.A., and I know this is very meaningful for a lot of people, and I’m sad to see it go, and I’m really sad about the circumstances,” said Santa Clarita resident Monica Storms. “I love the history on the walls, seeing all the photos and whoever’s visiting.”
Santa Clarita Valley residents leaving the cafe after lunch reported long wait times – around 45 minutes to an hour for a meal after being seated – for food that was absolutely worth it, and not just to say goodbye.
“The food is so good, so good. My dad … would bring us as littles, and then now I’ve brought my daughter,” said local resident Toni Cowles. “We’re all coming to say goodbye.”
Cowles’ dad, Manuel Munoz, has been coming to the Saugus Cafe since the 1970s, and has seen “four or five” sets of owners come and go. While the food has changed slightly, along with its social scene, its status as a community touchstone has stayed strong.
“I used to come here and eat liver and onions because it reminded me of my grandmother, and very few places know how to prepare that,” Munoz said. “(The) food’s still good. This place used to be the network for the business people back in the day, right here in the morning, from 6 o’clock in the morning till about 8, 9 o’clock.”
For Friday visitors who didn’t know the cafe’s place in history – its ties to the railroad, the presidents and old Hollywood stars and directors who ate there – its consistent menu of American diner food was perhaps reason enough to pass through before its last day on Jan. 4.
But for anyone curious about the origins of the Santa Clarita Valley, the Saugus Cafe may be a part of the story impossible to cut around.
“I think it’s very, very important to remember how the town was built,” Storms said. “And if it weren’t for the railroad and this restaurant, probably a lot of Santa Clarita wouldn’t even be here.”
