It may be the end of an era for a place that has come to define a particular architectural and culinary aesthetic in Los Angeles.
If all goes to plan, the iconic serrated Norms coffee shop sign on La Cienega Boulevard (one of the few remaining examples of mid-century Googie coffee shop architecture in L.A.) will look like “Canes ” will be replaced. Say goodbye to the retro diner known for its steak and eggs and hello to the new home of fast food chicken strips in Raising Cane.
Other prescriptive locations around Southern California would continue to operate under the proposal. But La Cienega’s location is iconic. The subject of Ed Ruscha’s famous painting “Norm, La Cienega, Burning,” the building was given historic landmark status due to its space-age exterior reminiscent of post-war LA.
The restaurant group that owns the fast food chicken chain Raising Cane’s owns the space that houses Nose’s iconic store and will rename it Rising Cane’s in 2027 when Nose’s lease on the space ends. I plan to.
“Raising Cane’s plan to capitalize on Gnomes’ legacy and perpetuate the iconic Googie-style architecture made famous by Ahmet & Davis is a testament to our commitment to restoring the site and creating an appetite for the Los Angeles community. It starts when we begin making improvements to provide a tantalizing chicken finger meal,” Raising Cane planning representatives said in a statement to the Times.
The company shared an image with the Times of its new plans for the space. The main change is that the iconic serrated pennant neon sign has been changed to read “Cane” instead of Canon.
Norm has an existing lease for the La Cienega store until December 2026.
(Grow a cane)
The Nome location has been a Los Angeles Historic Landmark since 2015, which requires Raising Cane’s to submit plans to the Los Angeles Heritage Commission. It is scheduled to be presented to the committee on December 5th.
But some Angelenos oppose the changes to the restaurant, even though Raising Cane’s would not interfere with the architectural structure of the site.
“The idea of transforming Nome from a family-friendly, affordable sit-down restaurant to a place to go for fried chicken is amazing to me,” say the duo behind Esotouric’s Secret Los Angeles. said one of them, Kim Cooper.
Cooper noticed the change while researching the Los Angeles Heritage Commission’s upcoming agenda. She noticed that Raising Cane’s was trying to change the way it used the space.
“It’s more than just a building. This is a place that’s open 24 hours a day…The Code is part of people’s lives and has been for 67 years, whereas in L.A. it’s basically been around for 1000 years. That’s pretty much it,” Cooper said.
Cooper encouraged Angelenos to attend the Heritage Commission’s public hearing in December to voice their displeasure with the code becoming a “Raising Cane.”
Nome La Cienega was designed in 1957 by Louis Ahmet and Eldon Davis in California’s famous “Googie” style.
Ed Ruscha, “Gnomes, La Cienega, Burning” 1964. Oil and pencil on canvas. From the artist’s retrospective exhibition “Ed Ruscha / Now then” held at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
(Carolina A. Miranda/Los Angeles Times)
The restaurant’s Googie style is a futuristic architectural style that originated in Southern California and is characterized by sharp geometric shapes, gentle curves, and bright, sometimes neon lighting. This style was often used at gas stations and coffee shops.
“Gnome’s is in the same area as Mann’s Chinese Theater and Pan’s and the Hollywood Sign. It’s very iconic to Los Angeles,” said Damian Sullivan, television producer and historian of “roadside” architecture. said.
The first Nome’s was opened in Hollywood in 1949 by former namesake owner Norm Roybak, and the iconic La Cienega store first opened in 1957. Roy Berk sold the company to CapitalSpring in 2015.
The chain currently has 24 stores in Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties, and plans to open a store in Las Vegas.
The Code did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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