Chili Bowl
The Chili Bowl on Pico Blvd in West Los Angeles is one of the oldest surviving examples of Programmatic architecture in L.A. Art Whizin, a former amateur boxer, established the Chili Bowl restaurant chain in Los Angeles in 1931. The restaurant built in Silver Lake in 1935 was moved to its current location in 1939. One of the few remaining former Chili Bowl structures, it is the most intact and has operated nearly continuously as an eatery since the early 1940s. Shunji Japanese restaurant operated there since 2012.
SurveyLA identified the Chili Bowl as eligible for landmark designation at the national, state and local levels in its citywide survey. LA Conservancy nominated the Chili Bowl as a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) because so few examples of Programmatic buildings remain today. On June 29, 2021, the City Council voted to deny the nomination at its regular meeting. Public comment may yet help save the Chili Bowl from demolition for new development. Visit the LA Conservancy site for more info.
West Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
Images by Andrew Schmidt