Porto's Cancels Downtown Disney Location

[DonMacGregor]

Word on the street (from several Disney sources) is that Porto's has cancelled their plans to build a new restaurant in Downtown Disney, in the location formerly occupied by La Brea Bakery and currently (albeit temporarily) occupied by Earl of Sandwich. Rumor has it that Porto's was unwilling to alter their policy of closing on major holidays and the new location would have been shuttered on Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.. Why this is only coming to the surface now is anyone's guess as a major restaurant shut down right on the Esplanade on those busiest and most popular of days would have seemed to be a non-starter form the get-go.

This certainly puts the future location of Earl of Sandwich in question and might explain why the EOS temporary trailer is still sitting as an empty shell. It also raises the question: will EOS still move to the other end of DTD and leave their current location empty in such a conspicuous spot front and center on the Esplanade? Construction hasn't started on the new building at the west end of DTD, so there's still time to leave it as an empty shell for a future tenant and allow EOS to stay on the Esplanade, but who knows.

 

[JerrodDragon89]

Heard that as well

We will see, it is a small location for this restaurant....like if you go to any location the lines are out the doors all the time

 

[DonMacGregor]

Heard that as well

We will see, it is a small location for this restaurant....like if you go to any location the lines are out the doors all the time

I've said from day 1 that it was a terrible spot for a Porto's. Even if they expanded the building well out into the current outdoor dining space, it would be a mad house over there every morning with a huge crowd clogging up that part of the Esplanade. Plus, at other Porto's locations probably 95% of the orders are to-go and the place is still stupid busy, so there's nowhere near enough dining space, even if they kept everything the same. The line of cars on Beach Blvd. in Buena Park can extend for blocks on a regular basis.

 

[JerrodDragon89]

I've said from day 1 that it was a terrible spot for a Porto's. Even if they expanded the building well out into the current outdoor dining space, it would be a mad house over there every morning with a huge crowd clogging up that part of the Esplanade. Plus, at other Porto's locations probably 95% of the orders are to-go and the place is still stupid busy, so there's nowhere near enough dining space, even if they kept everything the same. The line of cars on Beach Blvd. in Buena Park can extend for blocks on a regular basis.

Yeah the area next to Ding Tang Fun where Earl is moving makes more sense.....but they choose to make it for multiple places

We will see what happens...but yeah if for the worst this does not happen maybe they could add on to buena vista street because people love that land and no where else they could build it out to

 

[meeshy1342]

We ate at the Earl of Sandwich tavern on our trip last fall and it was one of the better meals we had that trip. I'm hoping they just allow EOS to stay where they are for now, it's nice to be able to sit out and people watch from there and it would be a shame to have that prime real estate empty (as others have pointed out).

 

[crystal1313]

I love Earl and I secretly hope it stays where it is at, but will be happy as long as it stays somewhere in DTD. As someone who doesn’t go to the DLR on a regular basis, I figured I could never get in to Porto’s anyway. I know they’re always slammed and I’m not willing to waste hours of park time or hours on my rest day to try it. Not worth it to me.

 

[BrianL]

Can Earl just keep it? Please. Stop jerking the Earl around! I love Earl and that's a better location than the old one. It could use a little sprucing up as it still screams "temporary location" but long live the Earl of Sandwich!

 

[JerrodDragon89]

Can Earl just keep it? Please. Stop jerking the Earl around! I love Earl and that's a better location than the old one. It could use a little sprucing up as it still screams "temporary location" but long live the Earl of Sandwich!

I doubt it

they already have a temp area and are suppose to go down to the other side of DTD

Also this is just a rumor...until Disney says something this is all rumors

 

[DonMacGregor]

I doubt it

they already have a temp area and are suppose to go down to the other side of DTD

Also this is just a rumor...until Disney says something this is all rumors

Definitely just a rumor, but if Porto's did pull out, there's no way they move EOS down to that trailer and leave the old La Brea Bakery building sitting empty right on the Esplanade. Tortilla Joe's is one thing, but the La Brea location is way too front and center to be left empty. There's little chance they could grab a new tenant, especially one who is willing to step in and build a new structure and pay DTD lease dollars without months of searching and negotiations, never mind planning and building a new restaurant (and demo'ing the old one).

I think that would be Disney's greatest dilemma: they are already planning to build a new home for EOS, there's a temporary EOS trailer location sitting waiting to be used (although it's still an empty shell), but they can't just move EOS out of their current location leaving it empty with no new tenant lined up.

 

[BrianL]

I doubt it

they already have a temp area and are suppose to go down to the other side of DTD

Also this is just a rumor...until Disney says something this is all rumors

Well, at least let them keep it until the new location is ready. Don't exile them to a truck!

 

[DizMe]

I personally would love to see La Brea or something similar return to that spot. I don't know what happened with them, though.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I personally would love to see La Brea or something similar return to that spot. I don't know what happened with them, though.

https://www.labreabakery.com/sites/...ries_LBB_Cafe_Closure_Press_Release_FINAL.pdf

 

[disneychrista]

I'm kind of happy that it appears that Earl will be in the much more convenient spot for me to go grab a sandwich while I am the parks next week.

 

[DizMe]

https://www.labreabakery.com/sites/...ries_LBB_Cafe_Closure_Press_Release_FINAL.pdf

Oh, thank you! I guess they won't be coming back as a restaurant, which is a shame. I loved that place (especially pre-covid). They had wonderful granola and other breakfast menu items. It was always a breakfast go-to for my sister and me on our way into the parks.