Norms Restaurants
 | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Founded | Los Angeles, California United States (1949) |
| Founder | Norm Roybark |
| Headquarters | 470 N. La Cienega Blvd, in West Hollywood
Long Beach, California |
Number of locations | 18 |
Area served | Southern California |
| Website | www |
Norms Restaurants is a chain of diner-style restaurants in Southern California. Founded in 1949 by used-car salesman Norm Roybark, the restaurants are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are currently 17 locations in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.
History
The first Norms opened on Sunset Boulevard near Vine Street in 1949. The oldest surviving Norms opened on La Cienega Boulevard in 1957, featuring a distinctive angular and brightly colored style that came to be known as Googie architecture.[1] Key characteristics include concrete walls, large glass windows, jutting roof, and a neon marquee.[1] Many Norms restaurants, including the 1957 La Cienega Boulevard location, were designed by the architectural firm of Armet & Davis to look like automobile showrooms with booths resembling bucket seats.[2] Their appearance has made them the subject of exhibitions curated by the Getty Center.[3][4]
In popular culture
- Referred to in the intro to Tom Waits' "Eggs and Sausage" off of Nighthawks at the Diner.
- The location of a popular hangout of the characters of the TNT show Men of a Certain Age.
- Depicted in the 1964 painting "Norms La Cienega on Fire" by Edward Ruscha.[5]
- Mentioned briefly in the third episode of the first season of American Horror Story.
- In his autobiography, Graham Nash mentions he, Stephen Stills, and David Crosby would have breakfast at the Norm's on Sunset during the recording of CSN's debut album.
References
- ^ a b Friedlander, Whitney (18 May 2008). "Go on a SoCal hunt for Googie architecture". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Lacher, Irene (3 August 2003). "Neon Rhapsody". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Hawthorne, Christopher (18 April 2013). "Review: L.A.'s Satisfying Sprawl". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Reyes, Emily Alpert (16 January 2015). "L.A. to consider preservation of Googie-style Norms on La Cienega". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "NORMS La Cienega: Demolition Permit Ordered: The Googie diner is up for a local landmark nomination." KNBC, January 14, 2015.