Gone But Not Forgotten: Popular Koreatown Businesses That Have Closed

Koreatown's storefronts change fast — here's what we know about some local favorites that have shut their doors.

Koreatown moves quickly. A restaurant that felt like a neighborhood institution one year can be gone the next, replaced by something new before most of us even hear the news. We're keeping a running list of some of the area's most talked-about closures — what they were, when they closed, and why, as best as we can piece together.

Dong Il Jang

Dong Il Jang was one of Koreatown's first Korean barbecue restaurants.

During the pandemic, we received the unfortunate news that Dong Il Jang would no longer be running its business as of August 15, 2020, after 41 years serving Koreatown. Dong Il Jang made its official announcement on Instagram.

Intercrew Ultra Lounge

Intercrew reopened in 2021 at 3330 Wilshire Blvd as an upscale restaurant-lounge backed by Twitch's co-founder, and over its five years became a late-night hub for live music, private parties, and Asian American creatives in Koreatown. It closed for good after service on Friday, February 27, 2026 — a casualty of a tougher economy that thinned event budgets and kept more people home instead of out for the night. It was one of the few dedicated gathering spaces of its kind in the neighborhood, and it'll be missed.

Arena Ktown

Right around the corner from Intercrew at 3319 Wilshire Blvd, Arena was a hip-hop and dance club open Thursday through Saturday nights, known for its high-energy, ratchet/hip-hop party scene. It's been permanently closed since 2022. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure.

Baekjeong (6th St.)

The original Baekjeong at 3465 W 6th St. announced it was closing "for renovation" on December 27, 2023, and never reopened at that address — Origin KBBQ has since taken over the space. The good news: Baekjeong itself came back about a year and a half later, a few blocks away, in a bigger space with its own bar.

sweetgreen

The salad chain's Koreatown location, which opened in 2021 in Chapman Plaza at 3501 W 6th St., has since permanently closed. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure.

Yongdudong Dokkaebi

Known for its jjukkumi (spicy stir-fried octopus), Yongdudong Dokkaebi has permanently closed. If you're craving the same recipe, Joo Pocha is now serving it. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure.

Get Bbul

This Korean seafood BBQ spot at 3189 W Olympic Blvd opened in 2013 and closed in 2023; Mongtan BBQ later opened in the space but has since closed as well. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure.

Wako Donkatsu (Wilshire)

After more than 25 years serving crispy katsu in LA, Wako Donkatsu's Wilshire Blvd. location (Ste. 112) closed for good on October 12, 2024. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure. Wako Donkatsu is still open at its Olympic Blvd. location.

Red Room

Coffee MCO's after-dark alter ego — a neon-lit natural wine bar that took over the cafe space starting summer 2023 — closed for good on August 31, 2024. Coffee MCO itself continues to operate during the day. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure.

Heyri Cafe

Housed in a century-old converted home on S. Hobart Blvd. and known for patbingsu and green tea ice cream since 2007, Heyri Cafe closed on February 21, 2025. As of this writing we haven't seen a confirmed reopening date — we'll update this if that changes. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure.

Mountain (Mountain Cafe)

Mountain, the beloved Korean comfort-food spot on 6th St. that had been serving Koreatown since 1974 — often cited as the oldest Korean restaurant in America — closed its longtime home in 2025. The good news: it didn't disappear. It reopened a short drive away in Ktown Plaza on Western Ave., rebranded as Mountain San BBQ, now serving full Korean BBQ and dry-aged pork alongside the classic porridge and samgyetang everyone already loved, with the same phone number and, finally, real parking.

CGV Cinemas (Koreatown)

CGV's Koreatown theater in Madang Mall (621 S. Western Ave.) opened in June 2010 as the first U.S. location of CJ CGV, South Korea's biggest movie theater chain. For 15 years it was the easiest place in LA to catch the newest Korean releases on a big screen with English subtitles, alongside Hollywood movies. Its final screenings were on Sunday, September 21, 2025.

The Koreatown theater wasn't the only one to go. CGV had expanded to Buena Park (The Source, January 2017) and San Francisco (2021), but movie theaters never fully bounced back from the pandemic and streaming kept pulling people to the couch. San Francisco was wound down first, Buena Park went dark in early 2025, and the company said the LA theater was financially difficult to keep running. CJ CGV is now putting its U.S. focus on licensing its ScreenX and 4DX formats to partner theaters instead of running its own, which ended its 15-year run operating theaters here.

The good news: the movie theater itself didn't disappear. Regency Theatres took over the Buena Park location first (reopened May 23, 2025), then the Koreatown theater, which it remodeled and reopened on November 20, 2025 as Regency Koreatown, with ScreenX screens and a mix of Hollywood blockbusters and Korean films with English subtitles. The CGV name is gone, but you can still see the latest K-movies on Western Ave.

Honey Night

This 8th St. Korean pub, known for late-night soju and army stew, has permanently closed. Tofu Chon, a soondubu specialist known for its soon tofu soup and galbijjim, has taken over the space as of January 2026. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure.

hibi.

The Michelin-recognized Japanese-Korean grill at 3121 W Olympic Blvd. closed in early March 2025. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure. Gebang Sikdang, a Seoul crab specialist, has since taken over the space.

Kong Ji Ne Donkatsu

This Korean donkatsu spot at 3450 W 6th St. (Ste. 110) closed in 2022. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure. Tang Huo Kung Fu expanded into the space.

Sun Nong Dan (6th St.)

After 13 years at 3470 W 6th St. (Alexandria Plaza), Sun Nong Dan's 6th St. location closed on November 2, 2025. Its Western Ave. location remains open. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure.

Dragon Bowl Twozone Chicken (Las Vegas)

This Korean fried chicken spot at 6680 W Flamingo Rd. in Las Vegas, known for its onion chicken, has permanently closed. We couldn't find a publicly stated reason for the closure.

Know a Koreatown spot that closed and we haven't covered here? Let us know — we'll keep this list updated.