The location on La Brea Ave most famously associated with Charlie Chaplin is his film studios at 1416 N. La Brea Ave, which he built in 1917 and which now home to Jim Henson’s Muppets. But at 624 S. La Brea is another building that Chaplin also built. Whereas the studios resemble his native England, this building which Chaplin built in 1928 as a business investment was inspired by Italian villas. Going by the cars parked out front, this photo was probably taken not long after it opened. In the 1980s, it was a La Brea Bakery café, in the 1990s, it was a wonderful Italian restaurant called Campanile, and today it’s a café called Republique. It’s one of the few places in L.A. that remains largely unchanged and has retained its charming atmosphere.
Even after Campanile took over the space, La Brea Bakery maintained a small auxiliary next door to it for a few years. Lesson? The restaurant business is pretty ephemeral… especially in high tax, high regulation states like California, sadly.
My wife and I were married there August 30, 1977 by a “minister” who advertised in the LA Times “no blood test weddings”. We went once for counseling then a week or two later for the wedding. He also was the photographer. Of course, we have had dozens of blood tests since!
Yeah, California is awful. Taxes. The 5th largest economy in the world. Innovative. Dynamic. A lifestyle that is the envy of the world. Must be why 39 million people live here. Just horrible.
We went to Republique yesterday and had been several times when it was Campanile. I was sad to see that they had enclosed the courtyard area and moved the star fountain outside…..not the same as it was and I didn’t think the improvements did the building justice. Now you enter on the old La Brea Bakery side and its just not as impactful as it was prior in my opinion.
The location on La Brea Ave most famously associated with Charlie Chaplin is his 
Proving why ficus are not very nice to have in front of your business.
I agree with you, we cannot even see how beautiful it was. The building itself looks rather run down and could use a good paint job.
Even after Campanile took over the space, La Brea Bakery maintained a small auxiliary next door to it for a few years. Lesson? The restaurant business is pretty ephemeral… especially in high tax, high regulation states like California, sadly.
Campanile and LaBrea Bakery were co-located. Nancy Silverton ran La Brea Bakery; and her then husband, Mark Peel ran Campanile.
My wife and I were married there August 30, 1977 by a “minister” who advertised in the LA Times “no blood test weddings”. We went once for counseling then a week or two later for the wedding. He also was the photographer. Of course, we have had dozens of blood tests since!
Yeah, California is awful. Taxes. The 5th largest economy in the world. Innovative. Dynamic. A lifestyle that is the envy of the world. Must be why 39 million people live here. Just horrible.
We went to Republique yesterday and had been several times when it was Campanile. I was sad to see that they had enclosed the courtyard area and moved the star fountain outside…..not the same as it was and I didn’t think the improvements did the building justice. Now you enter on the old La Brea Bakery side and its just not as impactful as it was prior in my opinion.
That’s a shame. I haven’t been there since before the covid lokckdown but I always thought it had a marvelous atmosphere.