Place
Tom Bergin’s
Reopened in December 2019, Tom Bergin's is a significant legacy business and one of Los Angeles鈥 longest-lived bars
Place Details
Address
Los Angeles, California 90036
Year
Style
Decade
Designation
Property Type
Attributes
Community
Tom Bergin's, 2018.
Overview
Operating near-continuously for 82 years (1936-2018) and reopened in December 2019 following the property鈥檚 sale to new owners, Tom Bergin鈥檚 is one of Los Angeles鈥 most iconic and longest鈥恖ived bars.
About This Place
About This Place
Located since 1949 in the distinctive Tudor Revival structure at 840 S. Fairfax Avenue, Tom Bergin鈥檚 boasts the second鈥恛ldest liquor license in Los Angeles. The Irish-themed tavern was first opened in 1936 by Tom Bergin, a former entertainment lawyer with Irish roots whose Massachusetts family had operated a number of bars throughout Boston. Inspired by his family鈥檚 taverns, Bergin set out 鈥渢o create an authentic pub, defined by warmth, great food, and exceptional hospitality.鈥
Tom Bergin鈥檚 was a remarkable success from the start and earned a reputation as a favorite haunt of Hollywood celebrities including Bing Crosby and Pat O鈥橞rien, both personal friends of Bergin, as well as Cary Grant, John Wayne, Lee Majors, Glenn Ford, Kiefer Sutherland, and Julia Roberts. Loyal patrons were memorialized with a cardboard cutout of a shamrock bearing their name, affixed to the wall or ceiling, which became a decades-long tradition at the tavern; by 2018, there were roughly 6,000 shamrocks adorning the interior.
The pub was also known for its signature Irish Coffee, and was one of two iconic West Coast establishments (the other being the Buena Vista Caf茅 in San Francisco) that believed to have first introduced the drink in America.
Tom Bergin鈥檚 remained a popular establishment for decades, with Mr. Bergin operating the tavern for 37 years. He retired in 1973 and sold the pub to Mike Mandekic and T.K. Vodrey, who operated Bergin鈥檚 for the next 39 years, through 2011. That same year, it was sold to restaurateur Warner Ebbink and executive chef Brandon Boudet, who reopened Bergin鈥檚 in 2012 with refurbished interior spaces and a new menu, though it closed once again in 2013 after failing to attract enough customers.
Bergin鈥檚 operated again from January 2014 through March 2018 under the ownership of actor and longtime patron Derek Schreck and its abrupt closure prompted concerns that the restaurant could be purchased as a teardown.
Tom Bergin’s reopened on December 14, 2019 under new ownership which is also proposing a new residential development adjacent to the landmarked building.
Our Position
Identified as an eligible resource by SurveyLA and one of the oldest-surviving bars and legacy businesses in Los Angeles, Tom Bergin’s reflects the broad history and culture of the city. It is also significant for its architecture and distinguishing characteristics of the Tudor Revival style, particularly rare as applied to a commercial building. Through the efforts of the Miracle Mile Residential Association (MMRA) and the Conservancy, it was successfully designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument in June 2019.
