Silver Lake diner legend Millie’s Cafe is expanding to Pasadena today. The nearly century-old restaurant has been a staple along Sunset Boulevard even as Silver Lake’s dining fortunes have ebbed and flowed, and now ownership will try its hand further east.

In a surprise post on the restaurant’s Instagram page, Millie’s Cafe owners announced a new location inside the former home of Community Kitchen on E. Washington Boulevard. The busy commercial block abuts Altadena to the north, and already sports the popular corner coffee shop Lavender & Honey. Not far from the new Millie’s Cafe is Fox’s, a true Altadena diner classic that was recently purchased by the group behind Cindy’s diner in Eagle Rock.

As the Instagram images below show, this new Millie’s will be a far cry from the original, at least in terms of decor. The space is much smaller and has not been quietly cobbled together over the years, giving the dining area a more fast-casual feel, complete with faux brick, subway tile, and lots of industrial metal stools and chairs.

The original Millie’s Cafe reportedly began life back in 1926 as a 25-seat diner counter, complete with plus, spinning stool seats and lots of Formica. The restaurant has followed a rather winding path since then, through various owners (and at least one tax issue with the IRS), ultimately expanding its storefront and growing into a prodigious sidewalk brunch contender. Weekend morning lines at Millie’s can sometimes last for hours, so hopefully this new offshoot will help to spread out some of the brunch waits.

Millie’s Cafe Pasadena. 1399 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA.