Jack's Salad Bowl (Demolished)
Whittier, CA Photo courtesy John Eng
Here's a nice dusk shot of Jack's Salad Bowl in Whittier. Originally established in 1944, all the signage is original.
The former Jack’s Salad Bowl building was demolished in September 2010. One sign survived, the one nearest the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. Its lettering is gone and the sign has been whitewashed, leaving the old shape to recall what once stood behind it. A little piece of Jack’s remains, though it no longer announces the Salad Bowl. 10-26
Norm's on La Cienega
Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
With its marquee all lit up, Norm's on La Cienega gives passing motorists a fine reminder of what a coffee shop sign ought to do. Those colorful, angled panels don’t appear interested in keeping a low profile. Apparently serving breakfast called for a little excitement before customers even reached the door.
Opened in 1957 and designed by Armet & Davis, this location pairs its familiar sawtooth sign with an upswept roof and broad stretches of glass. The building looks ready for the space age, even when the immediate mission is simply finding a plate of eggs. It remains the longest-operating restaurant in the Norm’s chain.
The landmark nearly faced a very different future when a demolition permit raised concerns in 2015. Preservation efforts helped secure Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument status that year, giving the coffee shop and its distinctive architecture some much-needed recognition.
UPDATE: Norm’s continues operating at 470 North La Cienega Boulevard. The 1957 coffee shop remains a designated historic landmark, keeping its familiar Googie profile along Restaurant Row. 10-26
Ships Coffee Shop (Demolished)
Culver City, CA Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
A jet-set arrow and a coffee shop full of sharp angles made Ships
Coffee Shops a roadside institution worth pulling over for. The architecture suggested tomorrow had arrived, although customers could still settle in for something as familiar as coffee and toast.
The Culver City Ships opened in 1956 at Washington Boulevard and Overland Avenue. Designed by Martin Stern Jr., it became the first location in the Shipman family’s small coffee shop chain. Its space-age appearance helped turn an ordinary meal stop into something sign hunters and architecture fans would remember long after breakfast.
Inside, the personal toasters supplied another attraction. Customers could prepare their own toast right at the table or counter. Apparently the kitchen had decided to let everyone take a small part in the breakfast production. Getting the toast just right was suddenly the customer’s responsibility.
The restaurant closed in August 1995, briefly returned that October, and finally shut down in November 1996. Even Ships managed one more trip before reaching the end of its run.
UPDATE: The Culver City Ships ended operations in November 1996. Its original space-age appearance is gone, leaving another distinctive chapter of Southern California coffee shop history behind. 10-26
The Apple Pan
Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The neon outside The Apple Pan offers a welcome introduction to a burger joint that has been making its mark on Los Angeles since 1947. Along Pico Boulevard, this little restaurant has watched plenty of changes roll past without feeling compelled to reinvent dinner.
Founded by Alan and Ellen Baker, the Apple Pan keeps customers close around its familiar U-shaped counter. The Steakburger and Hickoryburger have their loyal followers, while the apple and cream pies provide a persuasive reason to stay longer. Saving room for dessert might require planning before the first bite.
Shelli and Irving Azoff purchased the business in 2019, continuing its long run after decades of Baker family ownership.
UPDATE: The Apple Pan remains open on West Pico Boulevard, serving burgers and pies around its familiar counter nearly eight decades after opening. 10-26
Hot n' Tot Grill
Lomita, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
An impressive roadside sign gives Hot n' Tot Grill in Lomita a proper introduction before the menu gets its turn. This neighborhood diner catches a motorist’s attention outside, then supplies a reason to return with breakfast and lunch inside.
Tracing its history to 1946, the restaurant stands along Pacific Coast Highway, where generations of South Bay drivers have stopped for a meal. Chicken-fried steak, burgers, and familiar breakfast plates fit comfortably with the homey atmosphere. Apparently keeping regulars happy doesn’t require reinventing the menu every few months.
An unverified tale describes an old-fashioned mechanic appearing near the parking lot before disappearing in passing headlights. True story? Perhaps his order was finally ready.
UPDATE: Hot n’ Tot remains open on Pacific Coast Highway in Lomita, serving breakfast and lunch daily and continuing a diner tradition dating to 1946. 10-26
Goody's Restaurant (Gone)
San Gabriel, CA Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo
Orange paint gave the marquee at Goody's Restaurant in San Gabriel an extra dose of roadside glow. Once the neon joined in, the sign had little trouble introducing the coffee shop to passing motorists. Apparently the lettering wasn’t going to handle the evening shift alone.
For more than half a century, Goody’s served the neighborhood from its mid-century restaurant on East Las Tunas Drive. The ranch-style building and asymmetrical sign made an appealing pair, giving customers something more distinctive than another anonymous storefront.
The San Gabriel restaurant closed in January 2010 and moved to El Monte. Fortunately, that departure didn’t mean the old building and sign had to disappear together. A new use brought an unusually good outcome for roadside preservation. By 2013, the former restaurant was being converted into Jeff’s Sporting Goods. The sign’s bowtie shape and supporting steel beam were retained, with new lettering announcing Jeff’s. Trading dinner for camping equipment was quite a change, but the familiar roadside shape still had a job.
Goody's Neon
San Gabriel, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
An unverified tale describes an orange glow briefly appearing near the old frontage on foggy nights. Really? With a sign this memorable, perhaps even the fog wanted another look.
UPDATE: Goody's closed down the San Gabriel location in January 2010 and has since moved to El Monte. 09-10
UPDATE: Goody’s closed its San Gabriel location in January 2010 and relocated to El Monte. The former restaurant at 865 East Las Tunas Drive was subsequently adapted for Jeff’s Sporting Goods, preserving the distinctive sign with revised lettering. 10-26
