Andrew Meieran isn't just a bar owner. He’s a preservationist who spent millions trying to save a piece of history that most of Los Angeles had already forgotten. When he poured over $14 million into restoring the legendary Clifton’s Cafeteria on Broadway, he wasn't just fixing plumbing. He was trying to resuscitate the soul of a neighborhood. But after years of fighting crime, bureaucratic indifference, and a city that seems to have turned its back on its own center, Meieran is effectively throwing in the towel. It’s a gut-punch for anyone who still believes in the revitalization of Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA).
The story of Clifton’s Republic isn't just about a business failing. It’s about the collapse of an idea. For a decade, the narrative was that Broadway was back. We saw the Ace Hotel open, the Apple Store take over the Tower Theatre, and high-end lofts replace dusty warehouses. Now, that momentum has hit a brick wall. Meieran’s recent decision to pivot away from a full-scale operation and his public admission that "we’ve lost our way" is the most honest assessment of the current state of the city we’ve heard in years.
Broadway is Bleeding and Nobody is Stopping the Flow
Walking down Broadway today feels nothing like the optimistic era of 2015. Back then, the "Bringing Back Broadway" initiative led by former Councilmember José Huizar felt like a sure bet. Now, the street is a gauntlet of shuttered storefronts and sidewalk misery. Meieran has been vocal about the reality on the ground. It’s not just the "vibe" that’s off. It’s the physical danger and the lack of basic municipal services.
You can’t run a world-class hospitality venue when your customers are afraid to walk from their cars to the front door. Meieran described a scene where open-air drug use, mental health crises, and a total absence of law enforcement created an impossible environment. He’s right. When the city stops enforcing basic social contracts, the businesses that pay the taxes to fund those services are the first to suffer.
The numbers tell a grim story. Foot traffic in the historic core has plummeted compared to pre-pandemic levels. While other parts of LA, like Silver Lake or West Hollywood, have bounced back, DTLA remains stuck in a loop of decay. Commercial real estate vacancies are at record highs. For a place like Clifton’s, which relies on high volume and a sense of wonder, the isolation is a death sentence.
The Financial Suicide of Historic Preservation
Meieran’s struggle highlights a massive problem in Los Angeles. We demand that developers preserve historic landmarks, but we make it financially impossible for them to survive. Clifton’s is a massive, multi-story labyrinth. Keeping the lights on in a building that old requires a staggering amount of capital.
- The maintenance costs for a 1930s-era forest-themed cafeteria are astronomical.
- Security costs have tripled because the city won't patrol the streets.
- Insurance premiums for DTLA businesses have spiked due to the perceived risk of civil unrest and vandalism.
It’s easy for critics to say Meieran should have adapted his business model sooner. That’s nonsense. He didn't just buy a bar; he bought a responsibility. He preserved the redwood trees, the hidden chapels, and the taxidermy that made Clifton’s a cultural touchstone for generations of Angelenos. When a city allows an operator like that to fail, it’s signaling that it doesn't value its own heritage. Honestly, if a visionary with Meieran’s deep pockets and patience can’t make it work, who can?
The Ghost of Clifford Clinton and the Death of the Middle Class
Clifford Clinton founded Clifton’s during the Great Depression with a "pay what you can" policy. He wanted to feed the soul of the city. He was a reformer who fought corruption in City Hall. There’s a bitter irony in the fact that the modern version of his dream is being killed by the very things he fought against: administrative incompetence and a lack of vision for the common good.
We’ve seen a shift in DTLA from a neighborhood for everyone to a polarized zone of extreme wealth and extreme poverty. The "middle" has been hollowed out. Clifton’s was meant to be that middle ground—a place where you could grab a cheap meal or a high-end cocktail. But the middle class has largely stopped coming downtown. They’re going to the Arts District or staying in the suburbs. The historic core has become a "no-man's land" that serves neither the resident nor the tourist effectively.
Why the Apple Store and Ace Hotel Warnings Mattered
We should have seen this coming when the Ace Hotel announced it was rebranding and moving away from the "Ace" name, or when high-end retailers started quietly exiting the area. These were the "anchor tenants" of the Broadway revival. When Apple spent a fortune restoring the Tower Theatre, people thought it was the ultimate seal of approval. But a shiny store can’t fix a broken sidewalk.
Meieran’s departure—or at least his scaling back—is the loudest alarm bell yet. He isn't some corporate entity that can just write off a loss and move to the next mall. He’s a guy who put his heart into a building. When he says the city has lost its way, he’s talking about the total breakdown of the partnership between the private sector and the local government.
The Realities of the DTLA "Death Spiral"
It’s a classic urban decline pattern.
- High-profile businesses close due to safety and cost concerns.
- Property values drop, leading to lower tax revenue.
- The city cuts services further because of the budget shortfall.
- The remaining businesses face even higher burdens, leading to more closures.
We’re currently in step three. The city of Los Angeles is facing a massive budget deficit, and the "discretionary" spending that usually goes into cleaning up downtown is the first thing on the chopping block.
Moving Beyond the "Everything is Fine" Narrative
City officials love to point to the new 6th Street Bridge or the luxury towers in South Park as signs of health. They're wrong. Those are islands of prosperity in a sea of neglect. The heart of the city is Broadway, and Broadway is failing. To fix it, we need more than just "awareness."
If we want to save what’s left of the historic core, the city needs to stop treating business owners like bottomless ATMs. We need a dedicated task force that actually addresses the street conditions on Broadway. Not next year. Not after the next election. Now.
Meieran has mentioned shifting his focus to other projects, potentially outside of the downtown core. You can’t blame him. Why stay in a relationship where you’re the only one putting in the effort? Los Angeles needs to decide if it wants a real downtown or if it’s content with a collection of historic shells that serve as backdrops for a tragedy.
What You Can Actually Do
If you care about the history of this city, don't just post a "sad" emoji on Instagram. The survival of these spaces depends on actual physical presence and political pressure.
- Visit the remaining independent businesses on Broadway. Go to the Last Bookstore. Eat at the Grand Central Market. These places are holding the line.
- Demand accountability from the Los Angeles City Council regarding the "Bringing Back Broadway" funds. Where did that money actually go?
- Support the Los Angeles Conservancy. They are often the only ones standing between a bulldozer and a landmark when an operator finally gives up.
The decline of Clifton’s is a warning. If we don't change how we manage the streets of DTLA, the "Republic" won't be the last icon we lose. It’s time to stop pretending that everything is okay and start demanding a city that actually works for the people who try to build something beautiful in it.
