Johnie’s Coffee Shop

Johnie’s Coffee Shop is a historic former diner located at 6101 Wilshire Boulevard at Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The building was designed by architects Louis Armét and Eldon Davis and opened in 1956 as Romeo’s Times Square, later becoming Ram’s before taking the Johnie’s name during the 1960s. It is a prominent example of Googie architecture, with an angled roof, extensive glass walls, stone supports and large red neon lettering designed to attract motorists travelling along Wilshire Boulevard. Johnie’s ceased regular restaurant operations in 2000, but the largely preserved building has continued to be used for filming and occasional events. It was designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 1045 in 2013.

Johnie’s Coffee Shop has appeared in Midnight Madness (1980), Miracle Mile (1988), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Volcano (1997), City of Angels (1998), The Big Lebowski (1998), American History X (1998) and Gone in 60 Seconds (2000). Its preserved Googie exterior and diner interior have made it particularly useful for productions seeking a recognisable Los Angeles coffee-shop setting.

In Midnight Madness (1980), Johnie’s Coffee Shop appears as Johnie’s Fat Boy Burgers, one of the destinations in the all-night scavenger hunt organised by Leon. After receiving the clue “Mr. Carson’s obese male child”, the players decipher it as “Johnny’s fat boy” and realise that it refers to Johnie’s Fat Boy on Wilshire Boulevard. The teams converge on the restaurant while searching for the next clue, continuing the race through locations around Los Angeles.

In Miracle Mile (1988), Johnie’s Coffee Shop is one of the film’s central locations and appears as the diner where Julie Peters works. Harry Washello meets Julie earlier in the day and arranges to meet her after her shift, but a power failure causes him to oversleep. When he finally reaches the diner in the early hours of the morning, Julie has already left. Harry uses the payphone outside and then answers an incoming call from a terrified soldier who claims that nuclear missiles have been launched and Los Angeles will be destroyed within little more than an hour. Harry returns inside and tells the customers what he has heard, setting the film’s escalating attempt to escape the city in motion. The payphone structure seen in the film was added for the production.

In Reservoir Dogs (1992), Johnie’s Coffee Shop appears during the flashback revealing Mr. Orange’s identity as undercover police officer Freddy Newandyke. Freddy meets Detective Holdaway inside the diner to discuss his assignment infiltrating Joe Cabot’s criminal organisation and his progress in gaining the gang’s trust. Johnie’s should not be confused with Pat & Lorraine’s Coffee Shop in Eagle Rock, which was used for the famous opening breakfast scene involving the entire group of colour-named criminals.

In Volcano (1997), Johnie’s Coffee Shop appears during the volcanic disaster spreading along Wilshire Boulevard. As emergency crews attempt to prevent lava from continuing west through the Miracle Mile district, a barricade is constructed across Wilshire near Fairfax Avenue. Johnie’s can be seen beside the threatened section of the street as the surrounding neighbourhood is transformed into part of the disaster zone.

In City of Angels (1998), Johnie’s Coffee Shop is used for the restaurant where Seth meets Nathaniel Messinger. Nathaniel, who can perceive Seth despite his being an angel, explains that he was once an angel himself but chose to become human by “falling”. Their conversation inside the diner reveals to Seth that abandoning immortality is possible and becomes an important step towards his decision to become human so that he can be with Maggie Rice.

In The Big Lebowski (1998), Johnie’s Coffee Shop appears during the memorable conversation between Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski and Walter Sobchak about the severed toe sent to the Big Lebowski. Walter refuses to believe that the toe necessarily belongs to Bunny and insists that obtaining a severed toe would be easy. His increasingly loud argument attracts the attention of a waitress, who asks him to keep his voice down because it is a family restaurant. Walter responds by arguing about his freedom of speech before eventually leaving with the Dude.

In American History X (1998), Derek Vinyard and his younger brother Danny stop at Johnie’s Coffee Shop for breakfast while Derek walks Danny to school. They are joined by Dr. Bob Sweeney and police officer Murray, who question Derek about the violent attack on Cameron Alexander and Seth Ryan the previous night. Derek denies involvement and then leaves with Danny, continuing towards the school. The scene takes place shortly before the film’s final events and follows Derek’s attempt to distance both himself and Danny from the neo-Nazi movement that had dominated their lives.

In Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), Johnie’s Coffee Shop appears during the overnight operation in which Memphis Raines and his crew steal the cars on Raymond Calitri’s list. Memphis and Sara “Sway” Wayland arrive outside Johnie’s to steal one of the target cars, codenamed Stacy. The distinctive diner exterior is clearly visible behind them as another vehicle is added to the group’s rapidly growing collection. The restaurant scene in which Memphis meets his mother was filmed elsewhere at the Quality Coffee Shop in Downtown Los Angeles.

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