Echo Park’s 60-Year-Old Diner Gets Youthful New Local Owners

Folks across the broader Eastside are worried about the future of the Brite Spot, a longstanding Echo Park diner known for its pie selection and late night hours. The Sunset Boulevard restaurant entered into a sale agreement earlier this month, and now comes official news that the team behind Ostrich Farm have stepped in to take over.

Both The Eastsider and LA Magazine have been wondering aloud at what fate might befall the six-decade-old diner, with its cozy corner location and bright orange signage. Current owner Dana Hollister has had the property up for sale for some time, but only finished the escrow process with Jaime Turrey and Brooke Fruchtman late on Friday. Now they’ve got the keys officially, telling Eater that — for now — they don’t plan to change much about the place.

Turrey and Fruchtman have been growing beyond their Ostrich Farm rooms of late, opening up the extremely busy Bar Caló across the street earlier this summer. Now they’re partnering up with executive chef John Hornung and group beverage director Jeremy Simpson to form an entirely new restaurant group called Small Axe Family, with plans to continue expanding.

As for what they’ll be doing with Brite Spot down the line? Here’s what Turrey and Fruchtman have to say:

Over the next few months, we look forward to getting to know the Brite Spot and its loyal customers, and, over time, introducing some new developments, including menu items and extended hours.

As for Hollister, the longtime owner of the Brite Spot, she still owns several prominent spaces across Downtown, Echo Park, and Silver Lake, including Cliff’s Edge and the Paramour Estate. She has recently been pairing back her holdings, however, including selling off the Villains Tavern property in the Arts District.

Brite Spot. 1918 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA.

• 12 Essential Silver Lake Restaurants [ELA]