Westwood’s Legendary Stan’s Donuts Has Closed…

Another bit of Hollywood history has closed…Stan’s Donuts was located in Westwood Village, which at one time was a bustling entertainment area of Los Angeles.

This is just another tragic loss of Hollywood history.

As Eater LA reported:

Owner Stan Berman later posted a personal closure notice to the doughnut shop’s website.

It is with a sad heart that I inform you that I have made the decision to close my doors and today will be the last day I will be making donuts. Unfortunately COVID-19 made the decision happen sooner, but I hope that you will remember how our donuts made you smile for many years to come.
The legendary doughnut shop served generations of UCLA students and greater Westside locals, all from an unassuming storefront that offered little else except drip coffee. The tiny storefront thrived for years on its simple glazed doughnuts filled with things like peanut butter and banana or jelly, but third-generation baker Berman was ready to hang it up this year. “Over the years each of you have touched my life,” the statement also reads. “Your support and friendship has meant more than you know.”

The shop was located in the heart of the village, just across from the last two remaining movie palaces there:

These two movie theaters are single screens, a rarity in today’s multi-flex world.

The historic Fox and Bruin Theaters are registered as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments and were constructed in 1931 (Fox Theater) and 1937 (Bruin Theater).

Westwood’s Sad Decline…

When I moved to Los Angeles in the 90’s, Westwood was a bustling center of activity. Located just south of the UCLA campus, it was filled with movie theaters and restaurants, plus record shops, bookstores, bars and more…

I went to movie premieres there often, and was always told to “stop at Stan’s” for a donut afterwards. He was an Icon, and Westwood was one of the liveliest places in town.

That changed by the end of the decade, and virtually all of the movie theaters went away, except for these last two…

I miss the energy of Westwood Village, and while both theaters still have movie premieres and, until the pandemic, both were still showing first-run theaters….and don’t forget that Quentin Tarantino used the Bruin in a scene for “Once Upon A Time In…Hollywood”:

Quentin also filmed at the iconic Musso & Frank restaurant in Hollywood as well, in a love letter to the town:

That restaurant celebrated it’s 100th year in business, and was still going strong before Covid-19, let’s hope they can come back – here’s a look at this legendary Hollywood hot spot:

https://johnrieber.com/2019/04/20/hollywoods-legendary-musso-frank-100-years-and-still-growing-celebrate-tinseltowns-best-martini/

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Thanks to Stan Berman for his great run, feeding us for so many years with his terrific donuts!

Categories: Exotic Travel, Food, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Memoirs, Movies, Pop Culture, Real Estate, Restaurants, Travel, Travel Memoir, Wacky Food

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