Altadena One Year Later: Iconic Little Red Hen Café Faces Landlord Drama as Restaurant Aims to Rebuild At Original Scorched Landmark Location
Days into 2025, the close-knit and historic neighborhood of Altadena suffered immeasurable loss when the Eaton Fire decimated many homes and small businesses. In the 1970s, Altadena became a prime destination for first-time African American homeowners and an inspiring hub for proprietorship. Nestled on the community’s well-known Fair Oaks Avenue, The Little Red Hen became the city’s go-to haven for a hearty meal and an unforgettable atmosphere where celebrities regularly visited. Now, as the Eaton Fire marks its first anniversary, the legacy of The Little Red Hen remains influential, while its future appears uncertain.
“We're still holding it together. It seemed like the year went by fast,” says the restaurant’s co-owner Annisa Shay, of the fire’s anniversary. “We're still in the same situation, so we’ve just been pushing through. That's all we can do.”
Looking back on the destruction caused by the fire, she continues, “It's still unbelievable [and] hard because it's been in the family for so long.”
As the calendar year passes, progress towards The Little Red Hen’s comeback has stalled. While they have received donations from Paris Hilton, the 15 Percent Pledge, and their GoFundMe, Annisa says money remains the main resource needed to rebuild at a hefty price tag of $2 million because “everything costs more.”
“We have to rebuild. When you're trying to buy a space and own the building, that’s how much it's gonna take. Probably even more, but that's the minimum,” she explains.
While the family-owned and operated establishment strives to rebuild, building costs are only one layer of their distress on their journey to become landowners where the iconic restaurant once sat. Days after the Eaton Fire, which claimed 19 lives and burned down 14,000 acres, the Shays were presented with an opportunity to purchase the land at the location of The Little Red Hen for a sizable fee.
“$500,000,” says Annisa of the price landowner Perry Bennett asked for. He is also the owner of Perry’s Joint, a sandwich shop located minutes away from The Little Red Hen. The Shays assured Bennett that they’d get the money, but according to Annisa, soon after, “He called back saying, ‘We're not selling the property. We're just gonna keep it.”’
“She just hung up the phone because she was like, ‘You're playing games. He wanted all the money up front,” recalls Annisa. “My mom was really pissed off because he knows the family and the situation.”
This ordeal makes the Shays feel manipulated during one of the most vulnerable moments in their restaurant’s history. The reality of their blood, sweat, and tears reduced to ash within seconds was a terrible woe, but this blow was one they did not see coming.
“He said one thing, then double-backed,” says the co-owner. “So, why would we wait to rebuild when he’s probably going to charge us crazy [rent]?”
The Shays are currently scouting locations for their temporary site, which they hope to debut later this year, then eventually return to their original spot on Fair Oaks Avenue. “I just feel like we need to be back where we were on Fair Oaks. So if we can buy that property, then that's what we will do,” she says.
While Black communities can often face gentrification after a catastrophe, Annisa believes Altadena will be spared from complete whitewashing. “Some people can't, or aren't able to rebuild or stay because they're older, but the majority of the people are not leaving. They're not gonna let anybody come in and infiltrate our stuff,” says Annisa.
She also believes The Little Red Hen will reclaim its throne as one of Altadena’s most beloved eating destinations.
“We're definitely gonna be back up and running somewhere. The business will be popping. Everybody's pulling up like usual. That's what it's gonna look like. We’ll be back in motion.
To support The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop’s rebuilding efforts, visit their GoFundMe.
