Norm's Coffee Shop Marquee
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Jason Carlton

Here's the famous "celebrity" Norm's off La Cienega in Los Angeles. Known to be a late night hangout of the stars in recent times, this location is one of the earliest Norm's in existence. Built in 1957 by architects Armet and Davis, the googie style Norm's is one of the few remaining intact classic modern coffee shops.

The broad windows and dramatic roofline belong to the days when a coffee shop could advertise itself through the building alone. Its reputation as a late-night gathering place adds another attraction. There might be something worth noticing at the next table as well as outside.

The restaurant even found its way into art history. Ed Ruscha made it the subject of his 1964 painting Norm’s La Cienega on Fire, giving this familiar meal stop a life beyond the boulevard.

Norm's Coffee Shop
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: In March 2015, the LA City Council voted to approve Historic-Cultural status for Norm's. This came after months of concern that the landlord Faring Capital was planning to demolish the googie coffee shop. In fact, a demolition permit had previously been issued in January. 05-15

UPDATE: Norm’s remains open at 470 North La Cienega Boulevard. Following a demolition threat, the restaurant received Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument designation in 2015, helping protect its distinctive building and sign. 10-26

See more Googie treasures at Roadside Peek's Googie Architecture.

Hearts Coffee Shop
Van Nuys, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

The weathered exterior of Heart’s Coffee Shop in Van Nuys didn’t tell the whole story. Inside, the terrazzo floors and familiar counter seating offered a better look at the old coffee shop character that customers had come to enjoy.Apparently the dining room had aged a little more gracefully than the outside.

The original photograph captured that contrast, with a tired-looking facade sheltering a clean, well-kept interior. Those terrazzo floors were worth noticing, along with the counter where customers could settle in without needing an entire booth. A place like this didn’t require a fresh makeover to feel familiar.

Hearts Coffee Shop
Van Nuys, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

And then there was the chop suey, a memorable part of the restaurant’s identity. Coffee shop menus sometimes had a personality all their own, and Heart’s offered another reminder that a neighborhood diner could have more going for it than eggs and pancakes.

Looks like Hearts has now, for the first time in many years, decided to be open for dinner! Check out Hearts if you're you'd like to give these home style cooked meals a try. Many thanks to Adriene Biondo for info.

For nearly fifty years, the Saticoy Street restaurant served generations of Valley customers. Breakfast and lunch brought people through the doors, while the familiar surroundings helped make it a regular stop. The attraction was the whole combination: a meal, a seat at the counter, and a dining room that still looked like itself.

Hearts Coffee Shop
Van Nuys, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Unfortunately, that long run ended in the summer of 2026. Another independent Valley coffee shop had reached its last service, leaving customers with memories of the meals and the place where they ate them.

UPDATE: Heart’s Coffee Shop at 16918 Saticoy Street closed on August 9, 2026, ending nearly five decades of operation. 10-26