Pann's

Pann's is a coffee shop restaurant in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, known for its history, role in movies, and distinctive architecture. The restaurant was opened by husband and wife George and Rena Poulos in 1958.[1][2] It is also known for its neon sign,[3] Googie architecture, and 1950s decor.[4] The building and its iconic neon sign were designed by architects Eldon Davis and Helen Liu Fong of the Armet & Davis architectural firm.[1] Pann's remains one of the best preserved examples of Davis' Googie designs, according to the Los Angeles Times.[1]

Pann's
Pole signs at the restaurant
Restaurant information
Established1958
Owner(s)Rena Poulos and son Jim Poulos
Previous owner(s)George and Rena Poulos
Food typeBreakfast food served all day
Street address6710 S La Tijera Blvd
CityWestchester
CountyLos Angeles
StateCalifornia
CountryUnited States
Other information
  • The building is one of the best preserved examples of Davis' Googie designs
  • The restaurant has been featured in films such as xXx and Bewitched.
Websitewww.panns.com

Like many coffee shops it serves breakfast all day.[4] The restaurant also serves "blue-plate specials," complete meals that vary daily.[5]

Pann's includes an angular edifice and large plate glass windows and has been described as having "the classic coffee shop architecture".[5][6] It was designed by Helen Liu Fong, who also designed the Holiday Bowl, Johnie's coffee shop, and the original Norms Restaurant.[7] She included tropical landscaping in the design,[8] and was part of the firm of Armet & Davis that one commentator refers to as "the Frank Lloyd Wright of 1950s coffee shops."[5] Pann's is currently owned by George and Rena's son Jim Poulos.[9] Rena Poulos died at age 100 in 2017.[10] Ed Begley, Jr. told a story about running into César Chávez at Pann's in the 1980s.[11]

Pann's was featured in a story in the Los Angeles Times, "Going on a hunt for Googie architecture," which noted the restaurant's tilted roof and sign, tropical plants and exposed stone walls indoors and out, and glass windows wrapping around the restaurant.[2] Pann's celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008.[2]

Recognition
  • Winner of the Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award[5]
  • Pann's has operated under a number of snappy mottoes, including "Just Food, Service and Rock & Roll."[5]
  • The restaurant has been featured in films such as xXx and Bewitched[2]
  • Contrary to popular belief, Pulp Fiction was not filmed at Pann's; it was filmed at another restaurant owned by the Poulos family, Holly’s, in Hawthorne.

References
  1. Nelson, Valerie J. (2011-04-26). "Eldon Davis dies at 94; architect designed 'Googie' coffee shops". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  2. Friedlander, Whitney (2008-05-16). "Going on a hunt for Googie architecture in Southern California". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  3. Hess, Alan (1986). Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture. Chronicle. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-87701-334-1.
  4. "Pann's (Los Angeles): 6710 La Tijera Blvd. Go there for breakfast any time of the day, but the menu has everything. This is the real deal since 1958 and the Fifties design is eye-opening. Several films and TV shows have been filmed here. The biscuits are memorable, but go hungry and order everything you can on the breakfast menu. I have the t-shirt." Chere, Rich (2009-02-02). "Some favorite restaurants while on the road with the Devils". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  5. Shindler, Merrill (2009-06-02). "Pann's dishes up blue plate specials amid Googie decor". Daily Breeze (Los Angeles). Archived from the original on 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  6. Hess, Alan (2004). Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture. Chronicle. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-8118-4272-3.
  7. Woo, Elaine (2005-04-26). "Helen Liu Fong obituary". Los Angeles Times. pp. B10. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  8. Wallace, Amy (1993-04-01). "You Can Still Get a Cup of Nostalgia at L.A.'s . . . Coffee Shops Modern". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  9. Brown, August (2007-02-05). "It's Googie a go-go; Architect Eldon Davis marks his 90th birthday with a tour of sites he helped put on the map". Los Angeles Times. p. E3. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  10. "Rena Poulos 1917-2017". Los Angeles Times. November 10, 2017. via Legacy.com
  11. "Begley Jr. was involved 'from a great distance' with César Chávez and the United Farm Workers union. 'I didn't buy grapes for 30 years,' he remembers. 'I never knew if the boycott was on or off, so I wouldn't take any chances.' Then the extraordinary happened. In 1987, Begley was at Pann's Restaurant on Sepulveda Boulevard. 'I was sitting there having a bowl of oatmeal when these two dudes got out of a very, very modest car, they came into the coffee shop, and it became clear to me that one of them was César Chávez. I kept thinking, Where's the entourage one would expect from an internationally known labor leader? I went up to him, I said, 'I don't want to bother you, I just want to say hello, my name is Ed Begley. I've been adhering to the grape boycott for years now, and I just want to say if there's any way I can be of help, let me know.'" Morris, Steven Leigh (2003-03-20). "History in the Remaking: Ed Begley Jr.'s harvest of fame". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2009-02-11.

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