Dear Friend of the Chili Bowl,

Thank you for joining 1179 concerned citizens who have signed the petition urging councilmember Mike Bonin to pause the pending demolition permit and help to move L.A.’s last Chili Bowl from its longtime home at 12244 West Pico Boulevard to a safe location within the city of Los Angeles.

The Chili Bowl is in grave peril, with an active demo permit, obscured from public view with demolition fence and scaffolding surrounding it. Today, LADBS inspector Jeff Bytheway told us that demolition will begin tomorrow! But will it? A different message has been conveyed by planning staff at Mike Bonin’s office, suggesting the property owner merely plans to cut it up and store it.

Either way, the integrity of the building is threatened by people who don’t seem to want to look after it, or to let somebody else look after it.
Tonight, we spoke on behalf of all Friends of the Chili Bowl during the West LA Sawtelle Neighborhood Council PLUM meeting.

The NC's board wanted to hear about our many months of efforts to get the city and the property owner to work with potential new owners, donors and locations, so we filled them in on what can be shared, and told them our serious concerns about a lame duck politician ignoring his constituents and aiding wealthy property owners in their efforts to avoid a required CEQA review.

In short: "This is a hot mess… caused by Mike Bonin’s office. They have actively discouraged the landmaking and helped the owners get to a place where they’re about to… cut it up… and destroy it!"

Also calling in was Emma Rault, the San Pedro preservationist working to landmark local roadside diner Walker's Cafe. She's fortunate in her efforts because not only does she have enormous support from the public and (so far) from the Cultural Heritage Commission, but the local councilman is also on board. As we've learned to our great sorrow with the Chili Bowl, that makes all the difference.

The NC's motion asking Mike Bonin to help save, move and store the Chili Bowl passed unanimously and will go to full NC next Wednesday.

But will it be too late? In just a few short hours, the property owners might cut the potential National Register landmark Chili Bowl into pieces. And why? There isn't even project proposed for the parcel! If you love the Chili Bowl, please hold it in your heart in the next few days, and join us in visualizing a solution that preserves the landmark intact.

We won’t stop fighting to save it, because it’s just too cool to lose.

If you’d like to see the 15 minute discussion of the Chili Bowl from tonight’s meeting, you can find it here.

And even if you’ve already reached out, please call Mike Bonin's office at 310-575-8461 and/or email Councilmember.Bonin@lacity.org with the simple, updated message, which you can add to if you like: "I care about the Chili Bowl at 12244 West Pico Boulevard, which is currently surrounded by scaffolding with demolition about to begin. I am asking the Councilmember to resume discussions with Friends of the Chili Bowl and the Los Angeles Conservancy, and to work with the property owner and find the funds needed to move this historic Los Angeles treasure somewhere safe, and not to let it be demolished. Thank you."

This is just a matter of money and real estate and time. Surely the answer can be found to save the only giant Chili Bowl in Los Angeles so it can enjoy another 87 years in the sun. Maybe you’ve got the perfect spot for a giant Chili Bowl to call its temporary home? Call us—we can help!

That’s all the news that fits in a giant Chili Bowl. Please continue to share the petition (http://www.change.org/SaveTheChiliBowl) with friends who love the Chili Bowl and want to see it saved. And stay tuned for additional updates as they happen.

Yours for Los Angeles,
Kim Cooper & Richard Schave
Friends of the Chili Bowl