Yeah, cruisers went to Harvey's Broiler in Downey. Racers went to Bob's Big Boy on Whittier Blvd. in Whittier. I did my cruisin' on Whittier Blvd. back then. BTW, Harvey's Broiler is still open but is now a Bob's Big Boy.
This project was the winner the prestigious Presidents Award for historic preservation from the Los Angeles Conservancy. The Bobs Big Boy property was once home to Harveys Broiler and then Johnies Broiler, two Downey drive-in/diner institutions. The original building for the Broiler, as it is called, was one of the best examples of the Googie-style midcentury modern architecture. This building has been unanimously nominated to the California Register of Historic Places. In 2007, the former Harveys and Johnies Broiler building was almost completely demolished without a building permit or legally-required environmental clearance. The City of Downey partnered with a southern California Bobs Big Boy franchisee to reconstruct the former Johnies Broiler building using the original building plans used to construct Harveys Broiler. Additionally, many unique and character-defining elements of the original building were reused to construct the new Bobs Big Boy/Broiler building. The vision and determination of Jim Louders Bobs Big Boy team cannot be understated. The City of Downey invested approximately $900,000 in this project, which resulted in the reconstruction of an important and culturally significant Downey icon and the creation of a new and thriving Bobs Big Boy in Downey.