SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (KABC) — Everything is back to normal once again at Los Angeles County’s oldest restaurant following its unexpected closure earlier this month.
The Saugus Café in Santa Clarita has been open for almost 140 years.
“I’ve been coming here since 1973,” Tom Bush said.
On Monday it reopened its doors with new owners.
“I’m very excited. I came here to try to do things as best as possible and I hope things go well for us,” said Eduardo Reyna, who has taken over the restaurant.
The Original Saugus Café is now known simply as Saugus Restaurant.
“We hope people leave happy and like the food,” Reyna said. “It’s the most important thing.”
The restaurant was renovated a bit while it was closed, but almost everything else remains the same.
Loyal customers packed the restaurant Monday to show their support.
Maria Douglass has been working at Saugus Restaurant for 18 years. She is one of several employees who have returned to work.
“They’re happy to be back. They were surprised to see that the menu is the same…they loved our old menu, so now they’re going to love it too. In fact, I was surprised at how many people came before just to support us and see us,” Douglass said.
Barry Goldberg has been eating at the restaurant for 40 years.
“In fact, I was here yesterday for work, I saw them cleaning the window and I asked them when they were going to open. They told me tomorrow. I told them I would be back.”
The Saugus restaurant has been a pillar of the community for decades, so customers and staff are hopeful for the future as this historic establishment enters a new phase.
“The only thing I really hope the new owner does is have this building declared a historic landmark,” Goldberg said.
Reyna has big plans for the restaurant. He wants to add new dishes to the menu, expand hours and possibly add a happy hour.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
