George’s 50’s Diner
George’s 50’s Diner on Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach was opened by George and Helen Alvarez in 1996. It was known as Terry’s Coffee Shop when Alvarez started working there as a prep cook in 1974. It originally opened in 1952 as Grisinger’s Drive-In. It was designed by noted Googie architect Wayne McAllister, who also designed the Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, for a world shaped by the automobile. The continuous glass storefront gives passers-by a look inside. The flat roof extends out over the modified wagon-wheel spoke parking so customers could be served directly from their cars by carhops. It was declared a Long Beach historic landmark in 2004. In December 2016 a two-alarm fire severely damaged the restaurant and it didn’t reopen until June 2018, winning a Rehabilitation Preservation Award from Long Beach Heritage in 2019.
Long Beach, Los Angeles County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt