Save a California Drive-In
Johnie's Broiler, c.1950
Credit: Minnie Ortner
Sept. 10, 2002
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: a V-shaped car canopy, illuminated "Fat Boy" mascot, and a classic "Open 24 Hours" neon sign that still flickers as it has since 1958.
Johnie's Broiler in Downey, Calif.
Credit: 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
E-mail the writer with advice, comments, or commiseration.
Got a 911 in your town? Send us an e-mail.
Preservation 911 is a message board open to all readers. While National Trust staff will respond to the extent feasible, this will not be possible in all cases. We encourage other readers involved in state or local preservation to respond with advice or assistance. To contact either a regional office of the National Trust, a statewide or local nonprofit organization, or your state's historic preservation office, click here for a state-by-state list.
The National Trust's regional and field offices bring the programs and tools of the Trust to communities across the country. They offer technical assistance through consultations and field visits and financial help through small grants. They hold educational programs for professional preservationists and work to foster policies that help historic places. They also provide leadership on issues that concern entire regions, such as saving historic schools, fighting sprawl, and revitalizing cities.
