Louise's Trattoria Once Had 19 Restaurants. The Last One Closes Nov. 25.

The Larchmont Village survivor of a Santa Monica original is taking Thanksgiving preorders for pickup on its final day.

Louise's Trattoria wants one more round of focaccia before it goes. The Larchmont Village restaurant is the only one left of an L.A. Italian chain that once ran 19 locations, and it will serve its last meals Nov. 25.

"Come break Focaccia Bread with us one last time," the owners wrote in a farewell post on Instagram, Whatnow.com reported Friday. In a longer version of the notice, owners Rob and Karen Serritella wrote of "bittersweet emotions" after "nearly 50 wonderful years," MyNewsLA reported Thursday.

The goodbye leans on the bread for a reason. "There's always a great story to be had that usually starts with our famous focaccia bread," Rob Serritella writes on the restaurant's website, where he says he drops by the Larchmont dining room every week to talk with longtime and first-time customers.

The first Louise's opened in Santa Monica in 1978. The site counts it among the region's earliest trattorias and says many of today's recipes come from that original menu. Restaurateur Bill Chait bought the Santa Monica restaurant with partners in 1985 and grew the business until it reached all the way to Philadelphia, according to MyNewsLA. The East Coast push helped send the company into Chapter 11 in 1997, followed by years of closures.

The kitchens turned out more than pasta. Gino Angelini, Nicola Mastronardi and Lucio Bedon all came through Louise's early in their careers before helping shape the city's Italian dining, MyNewsLA reported. Larchmont's own crew stayed put: the site says chef Luis and general manager Paul have been with the family for nearly 25 years.

A company hand since 2001, Rob Serritella eventually rose to chief executive. In 2018 he and Karen bought the last two Louise's restaurants. When the Pico Boulevard location closed, Larchmont, open since 1988, was the only one left.

The posted menu shows what a last order costs (prices checked November 2026). Nonna's Meatballs run $17.50, and Linguine with Clams is $24.50. The cioppino, at $34, is the most expensive dish on the seafood list, and the tiramisu is $10. Takeout family packs serving three or four start at $45, and every one comes with what the menu calls the Legendary Focaccia Bread.

The restaurant sits at 232 N. Larchmont Blvd., just east of Hancock Park, according to its site, which lists hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The calendar adds one more twist. Louise's is taking Thanksgiving preorders for pickup Nov. 25 and will be closed Thanksgiving Day, MyNewsLA reported. After 38 years in Larchmont, some of the last food out of that kitchen will be holiday dinners headed to other people's tables.

Source: whatnow.com, retrieved November 6, 2026. Other sources: mynewsla.com, the restaurant's website (louises.com), louises.com (2).