"It is time for me to hang up my knives and spatula." Chef Michael Shafer posted that line on The Depot's farewell page. He wrote it as he reached the middle of his 35th year at 1250 Cabrillo Avenue, and he set September 30 as the date for the last meal. The same note announced a parking-lot sale of memorabilia and invited guests to "raise one more glass" to the staff. In its October 7 dining column, Easy Reader called it the end of an era of fine dining in Old Town Torrance. The column added that Shafer knew an astonishing number of his patrons by name.
The Depot occupied the Pacific Electric station Irving Gill designed in 1912, the year Torrance was founded. Gill's bridge a few blocks away is on the National Register of Historic Places. The depot is not on the City's published landmark register. As of today, no new tenant or reuse plan for the building has been reported.
A Red Car Station That Outlived Its Trains
Gill won the job of chief architect for the new city of Torrance in the spring of 1912. He worked on the plan for about a year, often alongside landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. The Daily Breeze's South Bay History column reports that he designed the Pacific Electric depot at 1250 Cabrillo that same year to serve Red Car passengers. Gill preferred concrete because it was sturdy and fireproof. The Daily Breeze notes that a Los Angeles Times story from September 15, 1912, ran under the headline "Southland City That Will Boast None But Fireproof Buildings."
The station served "The World's Greatest Interurban" for decades. The Torrance Historical Society's plaque inventory records that depot service ended in 1981, when Southern Pacific Transportation Company owned the line. Ten years later, Shafer moved in.
Easy Reader's 2015 retrospective described the 1991 opening as a risky bet. At the time the neighborhood was "sleepy, conservative, and mostly vacant," and few people would have chosen it for an upscale restaurant. Shafer did much of the interior design himself, including Roman pillars that stop partway to the ceiling. He also built a menu that mixed Japanese, Chinese, German and American ideas. Writing almost 25 years later, the paper said the surrounding community had "flowered" around the restaurant.
So for 35 years, the same chef kept the station open and in use. Before 1991, it had been empty for a decade.
What the Paperwork Says About 1250 Cabrillo
Recognition and designation are different things in Torrance. Since 1983 the Torrance Historical Society has placed bronze plaques on local landmarks, and The Depot has one. A plaque marks history. City landmark status is a separate process.
The City's Historic Preservation Program page lists ten properties on the Torrance Historic Landmark and District Register. The first was designated in October 2022 and the most recent in June 2026. 1250 Cabrillo is not among them, and the register shows no district. The same page names three Torrance properties on the National Register: Torrance High School, Fern Avenue School and the Pacific Electric Railway El Prado Bridge.
| Structure | Architect and year | Historical Society plaque | City landmark register | National Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Electric depot, 1250 Cabrillo Ave | Irving Gill, 1912 | Yes | Not listed | Not on City's list |
| El Prado Bridge, Torrance Blvd at Bow Ave | Irving Gill, 1913 | Yes, placed by the City | Not listed | Listed 1989 |
| 1515 El Prado Ave | Not stated | Not on plaque list | Designated May 21, 2026 | Not on City's list |
The table covers only what the City publishes. It does not rule out other kinds of review that could apply to the depot. The City's page explains that anyone, including the City, can start a landmark or district designation. Every application needs the property owner's written consent and goes to the Historic Preservation Commission. The page also describes the Mills Act as California's main financial incentive for private owners who restore qualified historic buildings.
The groundwork for downtown has been laid. From 2011 to 2013 the Historical Society surveyed the Olmsted Tract, 109 blocks including a commercial sub-district, and noted the Gill buildings inside it. A Downtown Torrance Revitalization and Connectivity Plan went to City Council on July 13, 2021. The City's page about it still asks readers to check back for more information.
The Founding Blocks, on Foot
Much of Gill's Torrance is gone. The Daily Breeze reports that the Hendrie Rubber Tire Co. factory and the first First National Bank building did not survive. The El Roi Tan and the Murray, two Gill hotels that faced the depot, were demolished. What remains can still be walked in one loop:
- The depot, 1250 Cabrillo Avenue. Its Historical Society plaque describes Pacific Electric tracks that "crisscrossed the southland" for more than three decades, with the railway's main repair shops nearby.
- The Brighton Hotel, Cabrillo Avenue. It is another Gill building. The Daily Breeze said in 2021 that it still stands in altered form.
- The El Prado Bridge, Torrance Boulevard at Bow Avenue. The Los Angeles Conservancy dates it to 1913. It is listed on both the California and National Registers, and the City finished restoring it before its centennial. The Daily Breeze says it carried workers over Torrance Boulevard to factories just north of downtown, including Union Tool Co. and Llewellyn Iron Works.
- El Prado's axis. The Olmsted Brothers' plan built the city around a landscaped mall lined up with Mount San Antonio in the San Gabriel Mountains. The Methodist Episcopal Church at 1551 El Prado, built in 1923, has its own plaque.
- 1266 Sartori Avenue. The plaque here marks the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. building, in use from 1928 to 1953. Red Car Brewery & Restaurant now operates at this address, and its name refers to the Red Car line.
- 1345 Post Avenue. The building served as the Torrance Public Library from 1936 to 1978. It now houses the Torrance Historical Society & Museum, which is open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The Society asks visitors to call ahead about holiday hours.
The City describes the Society's free docent-led Old Torrance tour as an eight-block walk that starts at the museum and takes about 90 minutes. Tours usually run on the fourth Sunday of each month from May through October. The City's 2026 tour listing shows only September 27, and that date has passed. The museum can say whether one more tour is planned this season.
Who Keeps the Lights On Downtown Now
On a block like this, an open door does more to keep an old building alive than a plaque does. Shafer's restaurant showed that from 1991 on. The businesses that took part in Scaredown in Downtown Torrance on October 3, 2026, show it now. Red Car Brewery, Local Kitchen and Keegan's Sports Lounge & Grill were the participating restaurants. Torrance Bakery posted event hours, and the photo booth stood near Chado Tea Room.
Torrance Bakery, at 1341 El Prado, is family-owned and dates to 1984. That makes it seven years older than The Depot. Clutch and Coffee, an off-road-racing-themed cafe at 1321 El Prado, got its Discover Torrance profile in February 2026. Madre Oaxacan Restaurant and Mezcaleria at 1261 Cabrillo, across the street from the depot, and La Capilla at 1332 Sartori both appear in older directory listings. Check their current hours with each business directly.
On September 27, 2026, the City of Torrance posted a video about the closing. In it, residents describe The Depot as a neighborly gathering place. Shafer's farewell made the same point about The Depot as a gathering place. The City describes Downtown Torrance as the city's original commercial core, covering 88.5 acres.
Dates on the Downtown Calendar Through December
- October 25, November 22 and December 27, 2026. The Torrance Antique Street Faire sets up at 1317 Sartori Avenue from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on each date.
- November 8, 2026. The Torrance Historical Society hosts Visit With A Veteran.
- Holiday Stroll. The Downtown Torrance Association held its 2025 stroll on December 3, from 4 to 8 p.m. Confirm the 2026 date with the association before planning around it.
When a historic building loses its tenant, it raises questions about ownership, permitted uses and designation. Lauren Forbes Group brings a former attorney's eye to those questions for South Bay owners of older and character properties. If you own an older property in Torrance and want a clear read on what its history means for its future, schedule a private consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.