Property Owner Raising Cane's seeks to evict Norms La Cienega after 67 Years (saved? see updates below)

Nov 26, 2024

Gentle reader,

This morning, the Cultural Heritage Commission agenda for its December 5 meeting was published, with a worrying item #4:

MONUMENT: NORM’S LA CIENEGA COFFEE SHOP, HCM #1090: Informational presentation on the proposed rehabilitation of the Monument for a new restaurant use. Commission Review and Comment. Owner/Applicant: Raising Canes Restaurants LLC.

Thanks to an all-hands-on-deck preservation battle in 2015, Norms La Cienega is a protected L.A. landmark and the oldest Norms still operating (est. 1957), a rare 24-hour family style restaurant much beloved by the local community and fans of Armét & Davis’ exuberant Googie architecture. And it still flies the penant style sawtooth sign with the name of founder Norm Roybark.

Raising Cane’s bought the building for $16 Million in 2021, becoming the coffee shop’s landlord. Now it appears they intend to evict Norms!

On Thursday 12/5 at 10am, fans of this cultural, architectural and community landmark are urged to attend the Cultural Heritage Commission hearing in person at City Hall, or call/Zoom in, to make public comment letting the CHC and Raising Cane’s corporate know what this 67-year-old legacy business in its landmark Googie style building means to them, and how losing Norms would make them feel. Emails can also be sent.

RSVP for the Facebook event here—and pass it on!

The CHC has no power over what type of business operates in a landmarked commercial building; they only protect the physical features called out in the landmark designation. But public opinion matters to a big national chain like Raising Cane’s, and this is your chance to be heard.

To participate in the Cultural Heritage Commission Hearing, see the agenda with full instructions: https://ens.lacity.org/pln/heritage/plnheritage1217184825_12052024.pdf

If attending in person, City Hall is at 200 N Spring Street, but you enter on the Main Street side. Leave time to go through security. The meeting is held in room 1010, beginning at 10am.

Comments will be limited to one minute, so we recommend writing it down, timing yourself and reading from a script.

If making comment in person, fill in a speaker’s card when you arrive in room 1010 and you’ll be called on by name.

If making comment by Zoom or phone, see the agenda link, then follow the instructions when item #4 is called.

If sending an email, keep it under two pages, use subject line “Item #4: NORM’S LA CIENEGA COFFEE SHOP, HCM #1090,” address it “dear Cultural Heritage Commissioners” and send ASAP to chc@lacity.org.

And if you’d like to know more about Norms and its architecture, you can read the landmark nomination prepared by the Los Angeles Conservancy’s late, great Modern Committee here. Then watch Alison Martino’s recent SoCal Scene visit to her favorite diner with retro Americana maven Charles Phoenix, to learn about how the chain is growing and why this particular Norms is a national treasure that inspired Mad Men, Ed Ruscha and so much more.

We’ll update this newsletter with any additional information you might need as Angelenos come together to stand up for a true Southern California icon, our beloved and once again endangered Norms La Cienega Coffee Shop!

PRESS CLIPS & UPDATES:

Los Angeles Times - Norms, L.A.’s icon of coffee shop architecture, would give way to a fast-food chain. Some are outraged (11/26/2024): “The idea of transforming Norms from a sit-down restaurant, family friendly, affordable to a place to go to get fried chicken is astonishing to me,” said Kim Cooper [of Esotouric]. Cooper discovered the change as she looked through the upcoming agenda for the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission. She noticed Raising Cane’s was seeking to change the usage of the space. “It is so much more than a building. This is a place that has been open 24 hours a day... Norms is part of people’s lives and has been for 67 years, which in L.A. is basically a millennium,” Cooper said.

KTLA-5 News - Famous L.A. diner could be replaced by a fast food joint (11/27/2024): Kim Cooper of Esotouric says “I think there’s an opportunity here for Raising Cane’s to do something extraordinary to preserve, reactivate and restore something very beautiful, to bring what they have to offer to Norms, to the Norms building, but also honor what’s always been—to do some sort of hybrid.”

KFI 640 AM, Saturdays with Tiffany (11/30/2024) - Lengthy segment with audience calls about the threat to Norms La Cienega and advocating for diner to be protected, with a follow up about the hopeful news that aired on 12/7/2024.

Update 12/3/2024: Ahead of the Cultural Heritage Commission hearing on 12/5, Raising Cane’s has provided the slideshow for their informational presentation. The proposed restoration/remodel is to be done by the original firm, Armet Davis Newlove Architects, and they are seeking approval for new landscaping, to change the NORMS penant sign to read CANE'S and the OPEN 24 HRS neon to read OPEN LATE. A lost or obscured wall mural might be restored or recreated and the ONE LOVE / ELVIS / GOLDEN RETRIEVER branded kitchen made to look like a walk-up fast-food check out station with incongruous counter seating. See the whole slideshow below.

Item 07 Norms La Cienega

10.3MB ∙ PDF file

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Update 12/4/2024: At the end of the business day, a letter from Raising Cane’s was uploaded to the Cultural Heritage Commission file requesting a continuance and informing the commissioners that “Raising Cane's will not be presenting to the Cultural Heritage Commission on Thursday, December 5, 2024. We have heard the community's concerns, and we are in discussions with Norm's about the future of the site. Any questions can be directed to publicrelations@raisingcanes.com.”

Thank you to all who spoke up about how much you love and value Norms La Cienega—as you can see, it truly made a difference! Watch this space for updates about what comes next for this cultural, architectural and culinary landmark.

Update 12/5/2024: After we again broke the story of what’s happening with Raising Cane’s plans to move into Norms, the press picked up the letter to the CHC, and in some cases spun it as a complete change of plans. We’ll wait and see, but we’ve continued to reach out to Raising Cane’s, and hope to establish a dialog to get Angelenos into the conversation about what’s next for Norms La Cienega.

NBC Los Angeles: Raising Cane's will not make case to take over historic Norms restaurant (12/5/2024), KNX News: Raising Cane’s backs out of plan to take over WeHo Norms (12/5/2024), KTLA News: Raising Cane’s may not take over historic Norms restaurant after all (12/5/2024), Restaurant Business: Raising Cane's may not convert landmark Googie site Norms after all (12/5/2024), Fox 11: Plan to turn iconic Norms location into a Raising Cane's withdrawn (12/6/2024), L.A. Times: Raising Cane’s backtracks on plan to turn Norms into a chicken joint (12/9/2024).

And while the matter was not heard by the Cultural Heritage Commission as planned, some powerful public comments were submitted, and you can read them below.

Norms Public Comment To Chc Day Of Submissions December 5 2024

910KB ∙ PDF file

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12/18/2024: In a letter to the editor of the Beverly Press, Paul Koretz writes: “Around 10 years ago, as 5th District L.A. City Councilmember, I helped lead the effort to halt the demolition of Norms La Cienega, a cultural and architectural icon. I involved the L.A. Conservancy, community members and celebrity customers. Eventually, the owners agreed to allow Norms to remain. It was such a close call that the famous Norms sign was being lowered by crane when they agreed to halt their demolition plans.... I commend [Raising Cane’s] for listening to the concerns of the community and not ruining a cultural icon. That is an unusual display of consideration for the community by a major restaurant chain which didn’t have to pay attention to all of us, but thankfully, they did."

12/21/2024: The New York Times reports on efforts to preserve Googie style commercial architecture in Los Angeles, including Norms La Cienega, and the Arby’s big hat sign (not actually Googie, but much beloved). Wish writer Anna Kodé had talked to us, as preservation comes off as a bummer, which it's not!

12/27/2024: Dwell cites the Norms La Cienega campaign as proof that preservation advocacy is exploding online, reaching a new audience, and making a real difference. P.S. The [sic] typo was because we were rushing to court for a Marilyn Monroe house hearing!

1/3/2025: KCRW reports on Angelenos’ love for 3:00am breakfasts at Norms La Cienega and what would be lost if it became a chicken fingers take out joint.

We’re off this weekend for the holiday, but return December 7-8 with a packed weekend of exploration. Saturday’s tour is an ascent from the old streetcar line on Sunset Boulevard to get to know a miraculous (and only slightly manufactured) Victorian time capsule, Angelino Heights & Carroll Avenue. Join us for a deep dive into suburban development and visionary preservation, Chinatown locations and daring girl detectives, ancient trees, atomic age anxiety and the only real ghost story you’ll hear on an Esotouric tour—because it happened on one of them!

And on Sunday, it’s Know Your Downtown L.A., featuring a time travel tramp around Bunker Hill with native son Gordon Pattison, speakeasy tunnel relics and what might be our last chance to visit the tiled marvel Dutch Chocolate Shop before the building changes hands. Join us, do!

And a gentle reminder that we got subpoenaed for third party discovery in the lawsuit by the Marilyn Monroe house owners, and are fundraising to cover our legal expenses with a 20% off holiday sale on bulk gift certificates. Or just buy one ticket or some merch—it all helps!

Yours for Los Angeles,

Kim & Richard

Esotouric

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