| Oh, for the Happy Days era of muscle cars, | | | | 1994, with the December '93 Rod & Custom |
| street cruising, and drive-in burgers, fries, and | | | | Magazine cover shot at the site. |
| shakes delivered by roller skating carhops. This | | | | Johnie's Broiler shut its doors as on New Year's |
| mid-century picture was epitomized by the | | | | Eve, 2001. The location was converted to a used |
| famous Johnies' Broiler in Downey, California | | | | car dealership, and leased to movie studios as a |
| where hot rodders and hipsters by the thousands | | | | classic mid-century set for movies such as Pulp |
| from all over the U.S. cruised through to claim the | | | | Fiction and Corvette Summer. The site became |
| hottest front row spots reserved for only the | | | | eligible for inclusion on the Register of Historical |
| best of this hot rod and "Kustom Kar" culture | | | | Places in 2002 as the result of a grassroots |
| scene. Featuring classic space-age Googie style | | | | campaign. An illegal demolition of the building was |
| architecture and a 60 foot bent arrow sign with 6 | | | | begun in January, 2007, halted by police within a |
| foot tall neon letters, Johnie's Broiler beckoned | | | | half hour, yet considerable damage was done. |
| comers from a mile away. | | | | With the dedicated efforts of classic car clubs, |
| Built in 1958 by Harvey and Minnie Ortner, The | | | | fans, preservationists and neighbors of this |
| Broiler restaurant became an overnight success, | | | | famous historic spot that kept the interest alive, a |
| remaining a cultural icon through the 1980s. In the | | | | lease was signed in 2008 by Jim Louder, owner of |
| late 1960s, its name was changed to "Johnie's | | | | the Bob's Big Boy franchise, to restore the building |
| Broiler" and the classic Bob's Big Boy character | | | | following the original 1958 blueprints, along with its |
| was added to the rooftop signage. In 1986, | | | | famous neon sign. It is once again open for a |
| Harvey's Wednesday night Cruise Night was born, | | | | Happy Days experience, complete with Hot Rod |
| with a DJ playing oldies music, attended by | | | | and Custom Cruise Nights on Wednesdays and |
| hundreds of vintage cars and hot rods of the | | | | Saturdays. |
| 1930s to early 1970s. The tradition continued until | | | | |