Johnie's Coffee Shop (Closed)
off the Miracle Mile Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Traveling the Miracle Mile, you will run across an old coffee shop across
from the former location of May Co, Wilshire. Yes, it's Johnie's,
the former Romeo's Times Square. Here's a look see at the interior of Johnie's. Yes, it's a classic California
coffee shop. Unfortunately, this treasure of a coffee shop is now closed.
Say it ain't so, Johnie's!!!
Holiday Bowl (Demolished)
Crenshaw District, Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A bowling alley with a coffee shop like this offered plenty to admire before anyone picked up a ball. At Holiday Bowlon Crenshaw Boulevard, the angular windows and sweeping Googie lines made the restaurant a roadside attraction of its own.
Opened in 1958, the complex became a gathering place for Japanese American, African American, and Latino residents. The coffee shop’s menu reflected its customers, bringing together dishes such as udon, grits, and hamburgers. An evening here could include a few frames, a meal, and catching up with neighbors.
Designed by Helen Liu Fong of Armet & Davis, the coffee shop was an important part of the preservation campaign after Holiday Bowl closed in 2000. The boarded windows in the photograph record an uncertain chapter, when the entire complex faced disappearing.
UPDATE: The bowling alley was demolished in October 2003, but the coffee shop portion survived and was adapted into a Starbucks. Its distinctive architecture preserves part of this Crenshaw community landmark. 10-26
Norm's Coffee Shop
Huntington Park, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the classic coffee shop architecture at Norm’s in Huntington Park. The angular roof and broad windows give this restaurant the kind of roadside presence that once helped make a meal stop easy to spot from a moving car.
This is one of the chain’s early surviving locations, with a building that carries plenty of Southern California coffee shop character. The glass lets customers watch the street while the roof supplies a little space age scenery overhead. Breakfast comes with something besides a view of the menu.
UPDATE: Norm’s remains open at 2500 East Slauson Avenue in Huntington Park. The classic coffee shop building survives. 10-26
Big Boy (Gone)
Hesperia, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
While heading out on the I-15 towards Vegas or Route 66, a nice stop to
stop for a Big Boy Combo is the Big Boy in Hesperia. After a brief stint closing down and becoming the Main Street Bar and
Grill. Many thanks to Teresa Ramirez and Dave Grant
for info.
Along Main Street in Hesperia, Bob’s Big Boy offered travelers a familiar burger stop before continuing toward Las Vegas or exploring the nearby Route 66 country. Opened in 1982 as store number 188, the restaurant brought the chain’s double-decker hamburger and smiling mascot to the High Desert.
The fiberglass Bob stood outside in his checkered overalls, holding a burger that never seemed to get any smaller. For motorists looking for a meal, that familiar figure supplied a pretty clear introduction. No need to study the menu to guess the house specialty.
At 12728 Main Street, the restaurant was also a local dining stop, rather than just somewhere to break up a freeway trip. Its later history included a stint as Main Street Bar and Grill, giving the building another identity after its Big Boy days.
Big Boy
Hesperia, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Unfortunately, the mascot eventually left his post. The restaurant’s closure and removal of the statue took away a recognizable piece of the Main Street landscape.
UPDATE : Bob's is back and open for business! Many
thanks to Dave Grant for latest on Bob's Big Boy.
UPDATE: The Hesperia Bob’s Big Boy had closed by 2011, and its fiberglass Bob statue was removed. The restaurant later operated as Main Street Bar and Grill. 10-26
Eddy's Restaurant (Gone)
Hawaiian Gardens Photo courtesy Herb Halling
Along Carson Street in Hawaiian Gardens, Eddy’s Restaurant had a coffee shop shape worth noticing. The low, multi-sided building featured a tiled roof and raised central roof section, giving it a distinctive profile among the businesses lining the boulevard.
Dating to approximately the late 1960s or early 1970s, Eddy’s served the Hawaiian Gardens and neighboring Lakewood area. Its name stretched across the fascia, letting the building itself handle some of the roadside advertising.
After Eddy’s closed, the property continued serving meals under other identities, including Canton Restaurant. Different menus came and went while the familiar polygonal roof kept the old coffee shop recognizable.
UPDATE: The former Eddy’s Restaurant at 12018 Carson Street was later redeveloped, ending the vintage building’s run along the boulevard. 10-26
Norm's Coffee Shop
Eddy's Restaurant (Gone)
