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GREAT NEWS FOR JOHNIE'S BROILER!
We have very exciting news regarding the fate of Johnie's Broiler in Downey, which was largely (and illegally) demolished in January 2007. Bob's Big Boy franchise owner Jim Louder has signed a long-term lease with the property's owner, Christos Smyrniotis. Louder plans to reconstruct the Googie icon, using as much remaining original material as possible, and operate the building as a Bob's Big Boy.
The City of Downey has selected Chattel Architecture to prepare a plan for cleanup and salvage at the site. The Conservancy and the Coalition to Rebuild the Broiler have been meeting regularly with city staff and Louder to discuss possible approaches to the building's rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Johnie's was substantially and illegally demolished on January 7, 2007. Working without permits, the wrecking crew started bulldozing without fencing off the property, disconnecting the electricity, or completing asbestos abatement. Only a portion of the restaurant's front facade and its distinctive signage, including the famous "Fat Boy" mascot, remain. After pleading no contest to three misdemeanor charges in October 2007, property lessee Ardas Yanik was sentenced to three years' probation, a $2,500 fine, reimbursement of $4,600 to the City of Downey, and fifteen days of community service work with the California Department of Transportation.
A year-long development moratorium placed on the 90,000-square-foot site by the Downey City Council expired on January 23, 2008. In December 2007, the city entered into an agreement with owner Smyrniotis in which he would secure the site from further deterioration, work with the city to evaluate alternatives and appropriate mitigation measures for the site, and pay for the preservation consultant hired by the city.
Designed by Paul B. Clayton, Johnie's Broiler opened in 1958 as Harvey's Broiler. It is a great example of the Googie style that lent itself so well to the design of restaurants, with a lighted boomerang-shaped drive-in canopy that could accommodate 100 cars, and flamboyant signage visible to drivers traveling along Firestone Boulevard.
In 1965, original owners Harvey and Minnie Ortner retired and sold the restaurant to a Mr. Johnson, who reportedly changed the name to "Johnie's." Soon afterward, Smyrniotis, a former chef at Harvey's and good friend of the Ortners, became its third (and current) property owner. By this time, the site had already become a popular weekend cruising destination for thousands and had been written about by author Tom Wolfe in his short story, "The Hair Boys."
Widely considered the best remaining example of 1950s Googie coffee shop architecture, Johnie's appeared on the cover of Alan Hess' 2004 book, Googie Redux, and has served as a backdrop for countless movies, commercials, and music videos. The restaurant closed on New Year's Eve 2001 and has been leased as a used car lot ever since. Friends of Johnie's (now the Coalition to Rebuild the Broiler), which includes the Conservancy, our volunteer Modern Committee, and many concerned individuals, has repeatedly staved off threats to the landmark over the years. Specific efforts include filing a successful appeal with the Downey City Council in 2004 that allowed the building's distinctive signage to remain in place.
Since the 2007 demolition, the coalition has worked tirelessly to keep hope alive for the eventual resurrection of Johnie's. An exceptionally dedicated team of preservationists, vintage car enthusiasts, and students has organized numerous community events, lobbied elected officials, produced a documentary, applied for grants, and faithfully attended each and every court hearing on the issue. Special thanks are in order for Modern Committee Chair Adriene Biondo, as well as Analisa Hungerford and Kevin Preciado of the Coalition to Rebuild the Broiler, for their steadfast commitment to protecting one of our finest examples of roadside architecture. |
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