Johnie's Broiler, c.1950 (Minnie Ortner)

Dear Preservation 911,

I remember the very first time I saw Johnie's Broiler. It was late in the day and I was traveling east down multi-lane Firestone Boulevard in Downey, Calif. I squinted and thought, "Is that a mirage?" As I rounded the bend, I simply couldn't believe my eyes. Was I really seeing an intact 1950s coffee shop with gigantic red rooftop lettering silhouetted against the sunset? Johnie's Broiler...the quintessential drive-in coffee shop. It had it all: aV-shaped car canopy, illuminated "Fat Boy" mascot, and a classic "Open 24 Hours" neon sign that still flickers as it has since 1958.

(Adriene Biondo)

Since then, however, Johnie's has undergone hard times. The owner closed it on New Year's Eve 2001 and leased it to a used-car lot tenant who gutted the restaurant, jackhammering into dust Johnie's original terrazzo floors. All the booths are gone, along with the original counter and enormous kitchen that once hosted 5,000 cars on a weekend night. Back then, Johnie's wasn't just a coffee shop; it was a destination. Known as the "largest, richest and most spectacular automotive exposition in the world,” Southern California vintage car clubs cruised in their hot rods and roadsters to Johnie's and waited in line for more than a city block to get in. Original owner Minnie Ortner tells a great story of a young couple who got married in the bed of their pick-up truck at Johnie's. Dressed in tuxedo and gown, they served their wedding cake from the truck bed to all the cruisers!

I was there in February 2002 when friends and supporters of the restaurant organized a neighborhood coalition group. "Friends of Johnie's" meets every week to try to remind the owner, tenant, and City of Downey that Johnie's Broiler's architecture and integral signage should be preserved. Please sign our online petition on our new Web site, www.johniesbroiler.org. Visit the site to see a time gone by and a place that could be resurrected for future generations to enjoy.

Sincerely,

Adriene Biondo

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