Comedian Dave Chasen opened the restaurant in December 1936 on the advice of director Frank Capra. It was initially called "Chasen's Southern Pit". The New Yorkers editor Harold Ross funded the operation, along with business associate Daniel Silberberg. It was nothing more than a shack at the beginning, but it quickly became well known for its chili and was soon a favorite among Hollywood actors. Capra had to lend Chasen his silverware for the restaurant's operation. Walt Disney, Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Temple, Cary Grant, Jack Benny, Jackie Gleason, W. C. Fields, James Cagney, Clark Gable, and F. Scott Fitzgerald were customers. As newer generations took the reins of Hollywood, trendier restaurants drew the celebrities and stole some of Chasen's clientele, but many stayed faithful to the end. Gregory Peck, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, RichardNixon, James Stewart, Don Rickles, Milton Berle, Kirk Douglas, Ronald Reagan, and Jack Lord were still regulars, along with newer celebrities such as John Travolta, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and Mel Gibson. Ed McMahon and Johnny Carson were frequent guests. Carol Burnett treated guest stars of her variety show to dinner at Chasen's following the Friday night tapings from 1967 to 1978. Chasen's did not accept credit cards. Instead, established or recognized customers simply signed for their charges and had a bill mailed to them. The restaurant closed on April 1, 1995 and the site was used for private parties and as a filming location. In 1997, its contents were auctioned off, including pictures, bars, booths, and paneling. Many original photos and artwork from Chasen's walls, ten of the booths, and the barstools are now found in Santa Paula, California in the Mupu Grill on Main street, including a piece by LeRoy Neiman of Tommy The Maitre'D. Comedian Brian Haley purchased the Frank Sinatra booth, the bar, the front awning, and many other items. The original building was demolished except for the Beverly Blvd side and a Bristol Farmsgrocery store was built in its place. The store's cafe features several booths from the original Chasen's and some of the original paneling. After it closed, investor Grady Sanders bought the name from the Chasen family and opened a new Chasen's in Beverly Hills in 1997. However, in 2000, this restaurant closed down.
