Lawry’s to Remain Open While Buyer Is Sought

Lawry’s California Center, the landmark restaurant and former spice factory just north of downtown Los Angeles, will not close as originally planned and will remain open indefinitely, company officials said Friday.

Last year, company officials had announced they would close the complex of Mexican restaurants and gift shops on Jan. 3. But general manager Chick Marshall said Friday that the restaurants will remain open during the lunch hour seven days a week while the owners continue their search for a buyer.

About 60 of the complex’s 130 employees have been laid off, Marshall said. Tours of the 17-acre site, where Lawry’s spices were once processed, have been canceled. The restaurants are no longer open for dinner, Marshall said.