The Pine Room
Cecil Motel, Manitoba, Canada
Photo from a postcard

Note the indoor planters, the open kitchen and the amoebae shape of the split-level ceiling.

Bob's Big Boy
Now Coco's
12032 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, CA

Designed by famed commercial architects Armet and Davis, this is the classic Googie Bob's Big Boy. The conversion to Coco's ruined the interior from a historical perspective, but the exterior is relatively unblemished. Note the cantilevered concrete roof, dynamic sign and expansive windows.

Coffee Shop
218 S. Brookhurst, Anaheim, CA

This empty building probably began as a coffee shop. Until its recent destruction, it stood near Lincoln Ave.

Van de Kamp's
Now Covered Wagon
2191 S. Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, CA

Once part of a chain of drive-in restaurants.

Denny's
Image at left from Denny's brochure

The original Denny's, (left) in Lakewood, California, was designed by Armet & Davis in 1953 and served as a prototype for the rest of the chain. Later designs (right) were larger, but repeated the "check-mark" roof.

Denny's
Now the New Trieu Chau Restaurant
Westminster at Brookhurst, Garden Grove, CA

Many chain coffee shops have been converted for other purposes over the years. This Vietnamese restaurant still bears all the markings of an early Denny's design. Note the "swiss-cheese" sign base typical of Denny's.

Capri Coffee Shop
Lincoln Ave. at State College, Anaheim, CA 
(previously Denny's)

Like most googie coffee shops, the Capri is a testament to the diversity of forms concrete and steel can take. Both the futuristic roof and the Flintstones-like walls are formed concrete.
(Sadly, the Capri is now demolished.)

Note the multi-part sign. Typical of googie, each section has a different shape, color and neon script.

Through the expansive plate-glass windows, we can see brown vinyl booths, Eames chairs and an open stainless steel kitchen. We can also see that the flagcrete was continued on the inside of the building, but with a different paint job.

Karousel Restaurant
S. Sioux City, NE

Includes the Main Event lounge. Carousel horses surround the circular main building. This is a strangely spartan version of Googie.

Lyndy's Motel
Beach Boulevard, near Ball Road, Anaheim, CA

It's the coffee shop we're really interested in here: The garish starburst sign, the flagcrete walls, the neon, the use of glass and the exposed stainless steel kitchen. I'm told it was bulldozed in 2000.