In its heyday, the sign atop Johnie's Broiler shone neon red, beckoning drivers cruising Firestone Boulevard in Downey to come in to down a shake or savor the signature chicken croquettes. Today, the sign isn't plugged in and sits above what remains of the half-demolished drive-in diner.
It sits, too, in the middle of an imbroglio that pits conservationists and nostalgic residents against those who think it's time to move on and clean up the mess left in the bulldozer's wake.
Johnie's Broiler opened as Harvey's Broiler in 1958 and evoked post-World War II car culture and the Space Age craze. Built in the Googie architectural style of the time -- characterized by strong lines, glass walls, hulking signage and brightly lighted interiors and exteriors -- it looked as if it had been plucked out of "The Jetsons."
On Jan. 7, the diner was in the process of being razed when residents called on police to halt the demolition because required permits had not been obtained from the city. The tenant at the time, Ardas Yanik, pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor charges stemming from the demolition and had his lease forfeited.
George Manzanilla, 28, a lifelong Downey resident and film producer, created a website where people could submit photographs and memories of good times at Johnie's.
"This place means something to people here, and it's a great piece of architecture," he said. "There was a lot of architectural history here in Downey, but it's quickly becoming the land of strip malls and McMansions, and people are becoming really interested in preserving what's left."
Although Manzanilla never saw the diner at its peak, he numbers among residents who say that Johnie's is one of the few landmarks of historical significance left in Downey -- precarious as that existence may be.
According to the state's Office of Historic Preservation, Johnie's is one of only five buildings in the city that is either listed or eligible to be listed on the state's historic properties directory.
Whether Johnie's will be rebuilt or fully demolished remains to be seen. On Dec. 5, city officials wrote a letter to Christos "Johnie" Smyrniotis, the owner, outlining an agreement that he and the city had reached earlier: Smyrniotis would pay a consultant, chosen by the city, to report what options remain for preserving all or parts of the diner's structure.
"From the economic standpoint, it has to be developed," Smyrniotis said. "We might put in a restaurant, maybe something else."
