Pann's Coffee Shop
Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Jason Carlton
Here are a few photos of the Southern California classic coffee shop Pann's which was designed by the well known architecture firm of Armet & Davis in 1958. This coffee shop was saved by the L.A.
Conservancy's Modern Committee from the wrecking ball and is now a
fine example of the coffee shop architecture that was once quite prevalent
during the mid-century era.
Johnie's Broiler (Partially Demolished)
Downey, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Featuring a huge "fat boy" character on its marquee, Johnie's
Broiler stands out as a classic coffee shop amidst redevelopment. Johnie's was originally Harvey's Broiler.
UPDATE: Unfortunately, Johnie's closed down as a coffee shop in 2002 and became home to a used car lot. In January 2007, the car hop and a large part of the restaurant area was illegal demolished, though the sign still stands. 01-07
Algemac's Coffee Shop (Gone)
Glendale, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Check out the script neon along the side of Algemac’s Coffee Shop in Glendale. The lettering gave San Fernando Road a familiar restaurant name to look for, with a little extra appeal once the lights came on.
Opened in 1937, Algemac’s spent nearly seven decades serving the neighborhood before closing in 2006. The photograph recalls the days when an independent coffee shop could become as much a local landmark as a place to eat. The interior was gutted in 2008, ending the old dining room’s chapter. Fortunately, the sign received a better outcome than the supplied description suggests: it was returned to the building in 2009.
There’s also a ghostly footnote in the supplied history: unusually cold spots in the back corridors were said to suggest an old coffee shop regular lingering after closing time. The story’s origin remains unconfirmed, but apparently this particular customer wasn’t quite ready for the check.
UPDATE: Algemac’s closed in 2006, and the former restaurant was converted for community use. Its historic sign was reinstalled in December 2009, preserving a reminder of the coffee shop name. 10-26
Dinah's Parasol (Demolished)
Torrance, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
An oversized umbrella made Dinah’s Parasol in Torrance a coffee shop worth noticing before anyone reached the menu. The broad circular canopy gave the restaurant its name and an unmistakable roadside profile. Apparently an ordinary roof wasn’t going to provide enough shade.
This was a close architectural twin of the The
Parasol Restaurant in Seal Beach. Both belonged to the days when Southern California restaurants turned familiar objects into imaginative buildings, making the trip out for a meal a little more interesting.
Dinah's Parasol (Demolished)
Torrance, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The photographs preserve the Torrance version before its disappearance. Even without a towering sign, that umbrella shape had plenty to say to passing motorists.
UPDATE: Dinah’s Parasol in Torrance was demolished. Its distinctive umbrella-shaped building is gone, leaving the photographs to recall this unusual South Bay coffee shop. 10-26
Mel's Drive-in (formerly Ben Franks)
Hollywood, CA Photo courtesy Kirk Maillet
Along the Sunset Strip, the sweeping roof and neon at Mel’s Drive-in offer something worth noticing between the billboards. This West Hollywood coffee shop has a history that reaches well beyond burgers and a late-night cup of coffee.
Opened as Ben Frank’s in 1962, the restaurant became a gathering place for the Strip’s music crowd. The Rolling Stones and Frank Zappa were among the names associated with the old hangout, where the activity at the tables could be nearly as interesting as whatever was happening onstage nearby.
Its connection to television was unusually direct. The 1965 casting advertisement for The Monkees sought “Ben Frank’s types,” borrowing the restaurant’s reputation as shorthand for the youthful crowd producers hoped to find. That’s quite a casting credit for a coffee shop.
Mel's Drive-in (formerly Ben Franks)
Hollywood, CA Photo courtesy Kirk Maillet
Ben Frank’s closed in 1996, but the distinctive building avoided demolition and reopened as Mel’s in 1997. The name changed, the neon received a new message, and the old Googie silhouette kept its place along Sunset Boulevard.
UPDATE: Mel’s Drive-in continues operating at 8585 Sunset Boulevard. The former Ben Frank’s building survives, carrying a piece of the Strip’s coffee shop and rock ’n’ roll history into another generation. 10-26
Algemac's Coffee Shop (Gone)
Dinah's Parasol (Demolished)
Dinah's Parasol (Demolished)
