Eppie's Restaurant, Sacramento, CA
This Eppie's Restaurant was designed by world-famous Googie architects Louis Armet and Eldon Davis from Los Angeles. It was completed in 1964. Apparently, per Mr. Armet's self-report to the American Institute of Architects for their directory, Armet & Davis received an award for this building.
Louis L. Armet (1914-1981) & Eldon C. Davis via GoogieArt.com
Per the current website for Armet Davis Newlove Architects "In the 50's and 60's the firm became internationally known for its "Googie" design style and built hundreds of restaurants that reflected the nation's emergence into the age of flight and its look to the future."
Rendering of Eppie's by Armet and Davis via GoogieArt.com
Per a Sacramento Bee article written by Jon Ortiz dated April 28, 2004, "The chain started in 1964, when founder Eppamianondas "Eppie" Johnson opened the first 24-hour restaurant at 30th and N streets. At its zenith, it boasted 20 shops stretching as far south as Fresno."
Sadly, this coffee shop/diner has been closed since 2004. However, restauranteur Eppie Johnson is still working hard. Mr. Johnson founded The Great Race in 1974, reportedly "The World's Oldest Triathlon", which generates "over $600,000 in donations for regional programs that benefit the physically and mentally disabled" per their website. More here.
Other posts in this blog regarding Sacramento's Googie architecture can be seen here, here, here and here.
Hope your weekend is filled to the brim with fun!
7 comments:
For the life of me, I cannot picture where this Eppie's was located...do you know?
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Barbara
http://ifididnthaveasenseofhumor.blogspot.com
30th and N, I believe :)
Seriously? It must have undergone a major remodel at some time...I'll have to go downtown and look to see if they finally tore it down...It certainly doesn't have the wings anymore if it's still there...
Amazing to see it surrounded by apartments - as you know, it's all medical complexes and buildings there now...
It has indeed changed a little bit. Especially the large plate glass windows. I'll have to go take some pix of it as it looks these days.
The main change is the big terrarium in front that became the smoking section, during the era when smoking sections had to be physically separate from the rest of the restaurant but smoking in restaurants was not entirely banned. That Eppie's has sentimental value, largely because of that smoking section and its 24 hour status: it was a post-club/post-concert gathering spot for young people with funny haircuts who could drink infinite coffee and smoke infinite cloves in the comfort of the smoking section.
I have a couple pics of Eppie's matchbooks somewhere...hm.
Good times, wburg! Does the matchbook cover have a pic of the building? We'd love to see it.
I think I'm inspired to do a "defunct diner" series now :)
Great stuff! I love these Googie structures.
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