Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles closes its Pasadena location – San Gabriel Valley Tribune

After 30 years in business, the Pasadena branch of the famous restaurant Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles will soon close its doors. (Photo by Erik Pedersen/SCNG)

After 30 years in business, the Pasadena location of the famous restaurant chain Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles will soon close its doors.

According to a sign at the restaurant’s location at 830 N. Lake Ave., the restaurant’s last day will be June 23. Two signs on the restaurant’s windows note: “Our last day at this location will be Sunday, June 23, 2024. Pasadena, thank you for 30 wonderful years!”

Still, the sign offers some hope for Pasadena as it points to a possible new location in the city.

“We are looking for another modernized location in Pasadena. Stay tuned and follow us on Facebook and Instagram,” the sign says.

A sign read “For Lease” near the corner of the restaurant. A call to the leasing agent was not returned, an email to corporate headquarters was not returned by press time, and calls to the restaurant went to voicemail.

Paul Little, president and CEO of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association, didn’t know why the restaurant closed until recently when he saw the signs outside the establishment, but he’s confident Roscoe’s will stay in town.

“I would like to see them stay in Pasadena. Roscoe’s is a local institution. They’ve been open a long time,” he said. “I hope they find another location in Pasadena that suits them,” he added.

The soul food chain was founded in 1975 by Herb Hudson. Roscoe’s currently has seven locations, including Pasadena, in Los Angeles County and one in Anaheim. In 2023, the small chain closed a location at 5006 W. Pico Blvd. and reopened at a larger location a few blocks away at 1865 S. La Brea Ave.

Roscoe’s had previously struggled with financial difficulties.

In March 2016, East Coast Foods, the parent company of several Roscoe’s restaurants in the Los Angeles area, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because it owed a settlement to a former employee who alleged discrimination. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing came after a judge ordered East Coast Foods to pay about $3.2 million to Daniel Beasley of Compton.