Cliftons Cafeteria Opening 2015 21
A soothing mid-century paneled nook. Clifton's Cafeteria on Broadway, Grand Reopening, October 2015.
In 2012 the Los Angeles landmark closed for a painstaking renovation and before that was hidden behind an awful rusty metal screen for fifty years. They uncovered murals, grottos and the world's oldest continuously lit neon light in a wall. Unfortunately the turkey and mashed potatoes were too pricey and not tasty enough - after several chef and menu changes they closed the cafeteria again in 2018 and it has been operating as a semi-skeezy nightclub for the past two years.
From Wikipedia: Clifton's Cafeteria, once part of a chain of eight Clifton's restaurants, is the oldest surviving cafeteria-style eatery in Los Angeles and the largest public cafeteria in the world. Founded in 1931 by Clifford Clinton, the design of the restaurants included exotic decor and facades that would eventually include multi-story fake redwood trees, stuffed lions, neon plants, and a petrified wood bar. Some considered Clifton's as a precursor to the first tiki bars. The name was created by combining "Clifford" and "Clinton" to produce "Clifton's".
Clifton's has remained in operation for 74 years. The restaurant chain was noted for each facility having its own theme, and for aiding those who could not afford to pay. This approach to business reflected the owner's Christian ethos—he never turned anyone away hungry and maintained a precedent set by the first restaurant on Olive Street, known as "Clifton's Golden Rule". In 1946, Clifford and his wife Nelda sold their cafeteria interests to their three younger Clinton children, and retired to devote their attentions to a Meals for Millions, a non-profit charitable organization he founded in the wake of World War II to distribute food to millions of starving and malnourished people throughout the world.
Cliftons Cafeteria Opening 2015 21
A soothing mid-century paneled nook. Clifton's Cafeteria on Broadway, Grand Reopening, October 2015.
In 2012 the Los Angeles landmark closed for a painstaking renovation and before that was hidden behind an awful rusty metal screen for fifty years. They uncovered murals, grottos and the world's oldest continuously lit neon light in a wall. Unfortunately the turkey and mashed potatoes were too pricey and not tasty enough - after several chef and menu changes they closed the cafeteria again in 2018 and it has been operating as a semi-skeezy nightclub for the past two years.
From Wikipedia: Clifton's Cafeteria, once part of a chain of eight Clifton's restaurants, is the oldest surviving cafeteria-style eatery in Los Angeles and the largest public cafeteria in the world. Founded in 1931 by Clifford Clinton, the design of the restaurants included exotic decor and facades that would eventually include multi-story fake redwood trees, stuffed lions, neon plants, and a petrified wood bar. Some considered Clifton's as a precursor to the first tiki bars. The name was created by combining "Clifford" and "Clinton" to produce "Clifton's".
Clifton's has remained in operation for 74 years. The restaurant chain was noted for each facility having its own theme, and for aiding those who could not afford to pay. This approach to business reflected the owner's Christian ethos—he never turned anyone away hungry and maintained a precedent set by the first restaurant on Olive Street, known as "Clifton's Golden Rule". In 1946, Clifford and his wife Nelda sold their cafeteria interests to their three younger Clinton children, and retired to devote their attentions to a Meals for Millions, a non-profit charitable organization he founded in the wake of World War II to distribute food to millions of starving and malnourished people throughout the world.