Post #12025 by tiki_kiliki on Sun, Oct 27, 2002 8:34 AM

A post from the Vintage Americana Club:

http://www.johniesbroiler.org

Johnie's Broiler, the oldest drive-in restaurant in California and a beautiful example of Googie architecture, is in danger.

A legendary cruising spot in my hometown of Downey, CA, Johnie's has been immortalized in celluloid more than I can possibly remember and even found its way
into one of Tom Wolfe's early novels. Johnie's (formerly Harvey's) was built in
1958 and enjoyed robust business until the past ten years, when business slowly declined until many people forgot about this important landmark.

It closed down as a restaurant in December 2001 and has been reopened as a used car dealership. The new lessors are gutting the place and its distinctive architecture is compromised.

Downey-based rockabilly band The Blasters is hosting a benefit to help save Johnie's on October 30. Meantime, there's an online petition that I encourage you to sign and a letter you can print out and mail urging the owners to restore Johnie's to its former splendor.

Please take a moment and visit the website
http://www.johniesbroiler.org to learn more. The gallery includes photos of Johnie's in its prime and recent pictures which show the sorry shape the restaurant is in today.

This place is amazing and I want to encourage everyone to sign the online petition! I'm sure lots of you have seen this place or live near it!