ESPN Zone Closes at L.A. Live, Three New Restaurants Moving In

The humongous ESPN Zone restaurant closed up shop this weekend, but three new concepts are planned for the space, all opening before the end of the year. Becoming like a mini food court, Smashburger, Live Basil Pizza and Tom's Urban 24 will share a kitchen but take up three different dining areas that will seat 600 to 700 people inside and out. The goal is to bring a lower price point to the complex, which has mostly sit-down restaurants including Wolfgang Puck Cafe, the Yard House, Katsuya and Rosa Mexicano.

This will be the fourth Smashburger for the greater Los Angeles area (there first three opened in Thousand Oaks, Culver City and Redondo Beach); Colorado-based Live Basil Pizza joins the customizable pizza fray, a first for Downtown LA; and its Denver sibling, Tom's Urban 24, touts comfort food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night. None of this is particularly destination dining - then again, this is L.A. Live - but the inexpensive fare sort of fills a void for Staples, movie and Nokia Theatre -goers, with the exception of the Original Pantry across the street.

According to the LA Times, almost all of the ESPN Zone restaurants have closed, with the exception of one in Anaheim (it's Disney-owned). ESPN's West Coast broadcast operations will continue and expand on the second floor.

(Photo: Consumer Concept Group)