Callahan's Restaurant to Close after 68 Years

Santa Monica is losing one of its most venerable and most unassuming restaurants. Callahan's, the coffee shop located in a distinctive Moderne building on Wilshire Boulevard east of 12th Street, is closing its doors after 68 years in business – the last 26 of them under the ownership of Abraham Vasquez and his family. The modestly-priced neighborhood diner is a vanishing breed throughout Los Angeles. Gideon Brower paid a final visit to Callahan's to capture some of the voices and atmosphere that have made the place so beloved by its many regular patrons.

This segment was made possible by KCRW's Independent Producer Project.

Music: "Thanks for the Memory"