South Valencia / Saugus – After nearly 140 years of serving eggs, coffee, and spoonfuls of grease, Saugus Cafe will close it’s doors on January 4th, 2026. The restaurant is set to be demolished to make way for approximately 5,000 homes targeting low-income families.
Longtime patrons expressed mixed emotions. “I met my wife here, got my first food poisoning here, and chose Saugus Cafe over Jack in the Box at 1am numerous times,” said one regular, staring at his runny eggs. Developers, meanwhile, confirmed the new housing complex will be called South Valencia East Ranch, and will include commemorative plaques describing the history of the Saugus Cafe. “On this spot in 1952, Clark Gable once waited 40 minutes for burnt bacon” reads one plaque, “In 1965, John Wayne and Charlie Chaplin got into a fist fight that resulted in Wayne’s hospitalization,” reads another.
City officials praised the plan as a bold step forward, noting that while the cafe could seat about 40 people, the new development is set to house 5,000 families. A small section of the project will reportedly preserve the spirit of Saugus Cafe by offering $2 coffee, uncomfortable seating, and tables featuring advertisements for businesses that haven’t existed since 1998.
A sign on the front door of Saugus Cafe closes their announcement: “maybe if more people had come here instead of IHOP, we’d still be in business.”
Jerome Horwitz is a Santa Clarita native. His family traces their lineage all the way back to the 1960s when his grandparents moved to the area to start a farm in what is now Castaic Lake. Growing turnips proved unfeasible below water, so they got out of farming and started a donut shop specializing in Bear Claws. Jerome enjoys watching paint dry, and lurking in local Facebook groups.
