Los Angeles, CA - Pann's Restaurant is one of the last of Southern California's examples of Googie Coffee Shop architecture, a design author and architect Alan Hess brought newfound awareness to back in the mid 1980's. 04-08

Pann's Restaurant
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A soaring sign and a roof that seems to hover above the windows give Pann’s Restaurant quite an introduction along La Tijera Boulevard. Check out the angles and lettering, making this much more than an ordinary breakfast stop. The space-age look is still here, and fortunately there’s still a meal to go with it.

Opened in 1958 by George and Rena Panagopoulos, Pann’s arrived when Southern California coffee shops were giving motorists plenty of reasons to pull off the road. A distinctive building, an eye-catching sign, and a place to sit down for a meal made a useful combination. Pann’s brought all three to its little triangular property.

Serving the public since 1958, Pann's was designed by the noted architecture firm of Armet and Davis. Pann's has been a well recognized part of the Southern California roadside landscape with its tropical oasis touch, upswept roof, and enormous sign.

Pann's Roofline
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

George had learned to cook while serving in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and later worked in Los Angeles restaurants. He and Rena brought that experience to their own businesses, eventually shortening the family name to Poulos. Their restaurant became a familiar stop for customers who returned year after year.

The building was designed by Armet & Davis, with Eldon Davis and Helen Liu Fong shaping its appearance. The broad roof reaches over walls of glass, giving the dining room daylight and passing motorists a view inside. From the street, the whole place seems to open toward the traffic, ready to welcome whoever decides to stop.

Pann's from across the street
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Take another look at that roof. Its overhang gives the building a lightness that contrasts with the stone walls below. The combination of glass, masonry, and sweeping lines turns a fairly small restaurant into something with a considerable roadside presence. Quite a bit of imagination went into finding a place to serve coffee.

Pann's Bathroom
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Jason Carlton

The sign holds its own beside the building. Tilted shapes and neon lettering carry the Pann’s name above the landscaping, adding another set of angles to the scene. It’s the sort of sign that rewards a second look, especially when the neon brings its outlines to life.

Palms and tropical planting fill the space around the restaurant. The greenery gives the property a little shelter from the busy roads, making this corner feel like an island with breakfast available. The cars keep moving nearby, while the plants and roof provide a different view from a booth.

Pann's Interior
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Jason Carlton

Inside, the red seating and long counter continue the familiar coffee-shop appearance. Check out the terrazzo floor, flagstone walls, and planters rising from the floor. The large windows connect the dining room with the greenery outside, giving customers more scenery than a row of parked cars.

Pann's Interior
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Jason Carlton

These details work together without taking over the business of being a restaurant. Customers can settle into a booth or take a counter seat, order breakfast or lunch, and enjoy the surroundings along with the meal. Pann’s has remained a working neighborhood stop, giving its architecture a purpose beyond looking good from the boulevard.

Pann's Door
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Jason Carlton

There’s a connection to another lost coffee shop too. George and Rena also owned Holly’s in Hawthorne, later known as Hawthorne Grill. That building became famous through Pulp Fiction before being demolished in 1999. Pann’s survived, keeping another part of the family’s restaurant history in use.

Its familiar appearance owes much to deliberate care. In 1993, Jim Poulos, the founders’ son, restored Pann’s to its earlier look. The work earned a Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award and helped retain the features that customers and roadside enthusiasts had come to recognize.

However, not all of the past 50's years has been smooth sailing for this futuristic coffee shop. In the early 1990's, the restaurant was in danger of being demolished and rebuilt beyond recognition. At this point, the Los Angeles Conservancy's Modern Committee got involved and worked collaboratively with Pann's second generation owner Jim Poulos towards a plan restoring Pann's to its former glory. In 1993, Poulos was the recipient of a Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award for his efforts.

Pann's Waiting Room
Los Angeles, CA
Photo courtesy Jason Carlton

With so many old coffee shops demolished or remodeled beyond recognition, a stop like Pann’s gives travelers a chance to enjoy the real thing. The sign, roof, stonework, and dining room still belong together. There’s no need to imagine how the old place might have looked while standing in front of a replacement building.

UPDATE: Pann’s continues serving breakfast and lunch. Dinner service ended in 2016, but the restaurant remains a familiar gathering place beneath its distinctive roof and neon sign. Nearly seventy years after opening, this Los Angeles coffee shop still offers a meal with a generous helping of roadside character. 10-26

Below are more photos of the Pann's Restaurant.

Pann's marquee close-up Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com	Pann's Front Entrance Los Angeles, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Terrazzo Wall Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Jason Carlton	Pann's Interior Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Jason Carlton
Pann's Coffee Shop Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Jason Carlton	Pann's Coffee Shop Los Angeles, CA Photo courtesy Jason Carlton

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