Norm's Coffee Shop (Demolished)
San Gabriel, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
For nearly three decades, Norm’s Coffee Shop in San Gabriel offered a familiar stop for hot meals and a late-night cup of coffee. The restaurant belonged to the neighborhood routine, with its recognizable roadside sign helping hungry motorists find their way in.
Unfortunately, this location couldn’t make it through 2008. Norm’s closed in mid-September, with possible mixed-use redevelopment discussed for the property. Another dependable coffee shop had served its last plate. 12-08
The loss meant more than a change of restaurant name. A familiar meal stop and its distinctive marquee were disappearing from the local drive, joining other coffee shops that had given the San Gabriel Valley its roadside character.
UPDATE: The San Gabriel Norm’s closed in September 2008. Its classic restaurant sign was subsequently removed. 10-26
Bob's Big Boy (Gone)
Glendale, CA Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Holding his double-decker hamburger high, the familiar mascot at Bob’s Big Boy in Glendale gave passing motorists a cheerful invitation to stop. The checkered overalls and oversized burger made the restaurant easy to recognize before anyone read the name.
Glendale has a special connection to the chain, which began there as Bob’s Pantry in 1936. The smiling figure recalls how a local hamburger business grew into a familiar part of Southern California’s restaurant landscape.
Unfortunately, this location was reported closed by December 2010. Bob’s roadside greeting had become a reminder of another meal stop that was no longer serving. 12-10
UPDATE: The photographed Glendale Bob’s Big Boy closed. This view preserves its familiar mascot during the restaurant’s operating days. 10-26
Mel's Drive-in (formerly Kerry's)
Sherman Oaks, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Along Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, the marquee and angular roofline give Mel's
Drive-in plenty of roadside presence. Before the Mel’s name appeared, generations of Valley customers knew this spot as Kerry’s Coffee Shop.
The building dates to 1953 and originally opened as Dyle’s Restaurant. Designed by Armet & Davis, it represents an early chapter in the firm’s Googie coffee shop work, with angled rooflines, broad windows, and dramatic signage helping announce the restaurant to passing motorists.
UPDATE: Mel’s remains open in the former Kerry’s building. The restaurant continues to put this surviving example of 1950s coffee shop design to everyday use. 10-26
Norm's Coffee Shop (Demolished)
Bob's Big Boy (Gone)
