Lady Liberty Debuts Fashion Restaurant
A fashion building must offer a unique cafeacute;, said Empera Arye, manager of The Lady Liberty Building, one of Los Angeles’ newest showroom buildings. A stylish eatery is one way to attract buyers to her building, which is located less than a half block north of the “Intersection” of fashion showroom buildings, anchored by the California Market Center.
The Lady Liberty, located at 843 S. Los Angeles St., started developing space for fashion showrooms in March 2007.
By the end of January, Lady Liberty’s snack shop closes to make space for the cafeacute;-style Italian food of Il Tramezzino Express. The take-out restaurant will offer panini sandwiches, espresso drinks, salads and a popular dessert of Nutella spread on a croissant served with fresh strawberries and bananas. Price points will include $7.95 for a sandwich and $5.95 for a salad.
Il Tramezzino Express will also offer catering and be the first “to go” restaurant offered by Veronique de Lestang and Rick Walken. De Lestang, president of the restaurant company, started Il Tramezzino in Beverly Hills in 1991. She and Walken, a partner in the company, also run an Il Tramezzino in Los Angeles’ Studio City neighborhood. Another will open in February in Los Angeles’ Tarzana neighborhood.
The Fashion District needs more restaurants, said Kent Smith, executive director of the L.A. Fashion District Business Improvement District. “With the number of new residents and buyers coming here, it points to more restaurants and more choices for this area. It’s going to be a more exciting place,” he said.
The Lady Liberty Building is the address of fashion showroom The Park, which bowed last year. The Globe Showroom, The Penthouse and the The BAR debuted during the Jan. 11–15 Los Angeles Fashion Market. —Andrew Asch
