Los Angeles, CA - Say it ain't so, Johnie's!
Yes, the old Romeo Times Square landmark on the Miracle Mile is now closed,
forced out by the current landlord. Although the old "Fat Boy"
moniker no longer stands, this classic "googie" styled building
is one of the best of the remaining coffee shops built in the mid-century
era.
Johnie's Coffee Shop, Miracle Mile
Johnie's opened back in 1955 as Romeo Times Square and closed down in 2000. Since its closure, the Armet and Davis designed building located across from the former landmark May Co. has been used for filming. According to its owner the 99 Cent Only Stores, there are no plans to tear down the building.
Johnie's Coffee Shop
Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A striped roof and a rooftop full of lettering give Johnie’s Coffee Shop quite a presence at Wilshire and Fairfax. Check out the angles, where the building seems ready to take off while the sign makes sure everyone knows where coffee was once served. This corner has plenty to offer anyone watching for Southern California’s old coffee-shop architecture.
The restaurant opened in 1956 as Romeo’s Times Square. It later became Ram’s before taking the Johnie’s name in 1966. The names changed, but the building kept the sort of appearance that could catch a motorist’s eye from across an intersection.
Architects Armet & Davis designed the coffee shop, with Helen Liu Fong contributing to its interior. The broad glass walls brought the dining room into view, while the sharply angled roof gave the outside a show of its own. Apparently the menu wasn’t going to be the only thing worth looking over.
Interior of Johnie's
Photo taken 1 day prior to closing day
Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The sign deserves some attention too. Script lettering sits above the larger coffee-shop announcement, giving the roofline another layer of roadside character. After dark, the neon adds color to the corner, recalling the days when illuminated restaurants helped mark an evening drive through Los Angeles.
Johnie’s also became a familiar face on screen. The Big Lebowski and Miracle Mile are among the films that used the restaurant, taking advantage of a dining room with plenty of atmosphere already built in. For movie watchers, the place may look familiar even without a trip along Wilshire.
Regular restaurant service ended in 2000, but the building stayed. Film crews continued finding uses for the old dining room, allowing Johnie’s to keep playing a coffee shop after customers could no longer stop in for breakfast. The booths had another line of work.
Beginning in 2016, the property took on a different role as “Bernie’s Coffee Shop,” becoming a gathering place for campaign supporters and community organizers. The old restaurant had gone from serving meals to hosting meetings, while its unmistakable roof and sign remained part of the street scenery.
UPDATE: Johnie’s received Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument designation in 2013 and remains preserved, though regular diner service has not returned. In May 2026, Gary Baseman’s temporary Off the Menu exhibition brought visitors inside to see his drawings on restaurant menus. Quite a fitting use for an old coffee shop, with something new to look over beneath that familiar roof. 10-26
