Johnie's Coffee Shop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johnie's Coffee Shop |
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Johnie's Coffee Shop, 2007.
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| Location | 6101 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, California United States |
| Built | 1956 |
| Architect | Armét & Davis |
| Architectural style(s) | Googie Style |
| Official name: Johnie's Coffee Shop Restaurant | |
| Designated | November 27, 2013 |
| Reference no. | 1045 |
Johnie's Coffee Shop is a famous old coffee shop in Los Angeles, California. It's known for its really cool and unique "Googie" style. You can find it at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.
The building was designed by Louis Armét and Eldon Davis from a company called Armét & Davis. These architects were famous for creating many "Space Age" or Googie-style coffee shops. Some of their other designs include Pann's coffee shop and Norms Restaurant.
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History of Johnie's Coffee Shop
Johnie's Coffee Shop first opened in 1956. Back then, it was called Romeo's Times Square. A few years later, in the early 1960s, its name changed to Ram's. Soon after that, it became Johnie's.
The Unique Googie Style
The name "Johnie's" is spelled out in huge, bright neon lights and flashing lightbulbs on the building's striped roof. The roof sits on stone columns and slopes down towards the back. It ends in a sharp point, making the building look like a spaceship ready to fly!
Alan Hess, who has written books about Googie architecture, said that Johnie's shows a lot about Los Angeles's past. He felt it represented how the city grew with cars and looked towards the future.
Changes Over Time
In 1994, the Gold family bought the restaurant. They are the people who started the 99 Cents Only Stores. Johnie's Coffee Shop closed its doors in 2000. The family now rents out the parking lot to a nearby 99 Cents Only store.
Johnie's in Movies and Music Videos
Johnie's Coffee Shop is very famous for appearing in many movies and music videos!
- It was a main setting for the 1988 film Miracle Mile.
- In 1999, it appeared in a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers music video called "Swingin'."
- It was also seen in a 2000 SHeDAISY music video, "Lucky 4 You (Tonight I'm Just Me)."
- In 2003, Reba McEntire's music video "Somebody" featured the restaurant.
- It was used a lot in Sean Kingston's music video "Beautiful Girls."
Many popular movies have shown Johnie's, too:
- Volcano (1997), starring Tommy Lee Jones.
- The Big Lebowski (1998), with Jeff Bridges and John Goodman.
- American History X (1998), starring Edward Norton.
- City of Angels (1998), starring Nicolas Cage.
- Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), also starring Nicolas Cage.
- Some parts of the short film Make Hay When the Sun Shines were filmed there.
Historical Landmark Status
Johnie's is located across the street from the old May Co. department store. That building is a great example of Streamline Moderne architecture. The May Co. building is now part of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Because of its unique style and history, the Los Angeles City Council made Johnie's a historical landmark on November 27, 2013. This means it's an important building that should be protected.
A Temporary New Name
On May 5, 2016, the coffee shop was temporarily renamed "Bernie's Coffee Shop." This was done to honor Bernie Sanders, who was running for president at the time. The shop kept that name and was used as a campaign office until at least June 7, 2016.
Photo gallery
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Johnie's Coffee Shop Restaurant, 2006
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Southeastern corner of Johnie's Coffee Shop from Wilshire Boulevard, 2009
