One of the few remaining examples of Googie architecture in Los Angeles is being restored—as a Chick-fil-A.
Wait. Wasn’t the city of Los Angeles up in arms just months ago when Raising Cane’s revealed plans to convert another iconic Googie restaurant in Los Angeles? In fact, the uproar caused Raising Cane’s to put its planned conversion on hold, much to the relief of preservation advocates across the city.
Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, is moving forward with the painstaking restoration of a restaurant formerly known as Corky’s in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, with little pushback.
What’s the difference?
No business is being pushed out of the Corky’s property, said Kim Cooper, who with Richard Schave writes Esotouric’s Secret Los Angeles, a blog about preserving Los Angeles’ cultural history.
(To be fair, Raising Cane’s did not plan to convert the West Hollywood property until the lease was up for Norms at the end of 2026. But fans of the iconic restaurant wanted it to remain a Norms.)
The property that was Corky’s, meanwhile, had closed in 2020 and the building was left empty. It had become the target of taggers and vandals, and, frankly, was an eyesore. Even preservationists like Cooper said restoration by a deep-pocketed chicken chain was better than blight, and area residents celebrated that the property would find new life.
“We’re excited about changing what was kind of a slowly dilapidated building and restoring it back to its original glory,” said Miranda Lee, Chick-fil-A’s principal design lead on the project. “We see it as an honor, to be honest. It's this building that has meant a lot to a lot of different people, and so we want to make sure that we’re preserving those stories. And a lot of those stories lie in the stonework and the walls.”
Chick-fil-A is working with architect Alan Hess, who nominated the project for its historic landmark designation years ago.
Built in 1958 originally as a Stanley Burke coffeeshop, the restaurant is known for its sweeping curved roof and Space Age-style interior. It was designed by Armet & Davis, the firm known for Googie design of the era (and the same firm also behind the iconic Norms).
Lee said the rehabilitation also seeks to pay tribute to Helen Fong, an Asian American architect at Armet & Davis who was clearly a lead on the original project. Hand-written notes on the old blueprints say things like “Make sure Helen signs off on this,” Lee said.
The restaurant also served as a community center. According to local lore, Billy Joel played the piano there in his early years, and some say the song “Piano Man” reflects his time performing there. (In his biography, Joel wrote that he played there for a few weeks before being fired. He responded by throwing a rock through the restaurant window.)
A rendering of the interior as a Chick-fil-A. | Rendering courtesy of Chick-fil-A
Lee said the “surgical” restoration has been no easy feat. And there are concessions. The location will not have a drive-thru, for example. And rather than using the preferred LED lighting for the sign, it will be actual neon, as it would have been in 1958.
It’s not clear yet when the restaurant will open, and the company is not yet revealing who the local operator will be.
But Lee said it’s fitting for Chick-fil-A to take on a piece of Googie history.
Googie design was meant to reflect a post-World War II optimism about the future, and it is deeply tied to Los Angeles’ car culture. S. Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A’s founder, was also a huge fan and collector of cars, Lee said.
“Googie is all about being innovative and forward thinking, and it coincidentally aligns a lot with Chick-fil-A’s values,” she said. “We are always looking to be innovative and pursuing what’s next.”