The 2-9 restaurant is currently housed in the Davis house, one of Los Angeles’ historical Victorian homes in the historic West Adams area. Los Angeles socialite and politician, William Davis, built the elaborate high-priced Davis house for his wife Bertha in 1897. After William Davis served as Secretary to California Governor Gates, the couple rose in local prominence, as did this house, a frequent meeting place for business and community discussions.

In 1984, a local judge embarked on his dream, converting the first floor to a coffee house for poetry readings. For a while, tacos and then sushi were sold from here, followed by the birthplace of the Wahoo’s restaurant. In 2003, Edward and Ann Dorr bought the Davis house and lovingly restored its original beauty and charm. It serves as a gathering space for both local and downtown residents as well as the local business district and the university community.

The Dorrs’ well-known devotion to the North University Park neighborhood is notable in their investment of many authentic Victorian homes here. These homes can be rented as residences, for weekend guests, or for special events and celebrations. The Dorrs, 4th generation Trojan grads, also rent properties to USC’s student community.

In 2008 the Dorrs decided to sell the 2-9 Cafe and focus on traveling more so they interviewed dozens of prospective buyers and hand selected a USC-connected family, the Odells -- Larry, Diane, Robert and Justin to carry on the tradition of the 2-9 cafe. The Odells have been restaurant owners since 1988 and will certainly continue their success with the 2-9 Cafe.

Other restaurants the Odells have owned -- all of which are in Long beach -- are: Odell's Pub & Patio Grill, Mirage Cafe, Ocean Center Deli, Airport Center Deli, Baja Sonora Mexican Restaurant, and Pop's Burgers.