Café Tropical closes after nearly 50 years of business serving Cuban food in Los Angeles

SILVER LAKE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A neighborhood staple closed for good in Silver Lake. Café Tropical shut down its operations after nearly 50 years of business serving up Cuban coffee and pastries.

Dozens of customers showed up to support the Silver Lake restaurant on Thursday and to have one last cup of coffee and pastry.

"It's one of the last days we can get the best coffee in Los Angeles," said Meg Aguilar. "We love this place we've been coming here for probably 20 years."

Café Tropical opened its doors in 1975, becoming an institution in the neighborhood. It's a family-owned business known for its Cuban "cafecito" and pastries.

The owners posted a note on the door that said, "We are permanently closing our doors. Thank you for all the years and support you have shown us."

"When we found out it was closing I was really heartbroken actually because we still come here. I come all the way down from Altadena so I had to come and pay my respects and get as much as I possibly could," said customer Mahtab Neptune.

Similar notes appeared on two other locations under the same ownership -- Cuban-inspired cocktail bar "Bolita" in Virgil Village and "El Cochinito" on Sunset Boulevard, known for its Cuban sandwiches.

"They will be missed forever. A lot of people are coming here and asking why are they closing and I say I don't know but they are going out of business and that's what makes me sad, and I'm going to miss their delicious food," said customer Amarjit Bhardwaj.

Eyewitness News reached out to the owner for an interview and an explanation as to why they decided to close but did not hear back.