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(December 2009) posted on Mon Nov 16, 2009

Ecosign proudly recreates a Los Angeles icon.

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By Jim Simington

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My signshop operated across the street from Harvey’s Broiler, one of America’s most well-recognized, 1950s-era diners. Of course, I knew the rich history of Harvey’s, including its change to Johnie’s Broiler in 1966 when its second owner, Christos “Johnie” Smyrniotis, a close personal friend, bought it. I sometimes visited him when the restaurant was open and occasionally made repairs to the signs. I never imagined I would be selected to restore signage for this bona-fide landmark known by millions of people.

As an electric-sign contractor, I’m a designer first. I began my career in Las Vegas, where I designed spectacular casino signs and learned the trade at large, electric-sign companies. Ultimately, I moved to Los Angeles and launched my own company, Simington Electrical Advertising.

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I opened my shop in Downey, CA, and have called it home for 28 years. I’m proud to have grown a successful sign company. However, I found it ironic and unfortunate to simultaneously witness an aging marquee deteriorating before me. I watched this sign morph countless times until the restaurant closed down permanently in 2001.

From time to time, I serviced the sign and would make it operational long enough for a film-production crew to shoot it for movies. It was like reviving an old friend just long enough to see what he used to be; when the camera crews departed, the sign faded to black as well. The sign, a testament to 1950s-era Googie architecture, returned to its dilapidated state – waiting for another chance at glory.

Back to life
The following year, talk buzzed throughout Downey that the restaurant would be resurrected; however, this wasn’t the case. New tenants turned the property into a used-car lot. They made significant alterations – without permits – to the structure and damaged the property’s integrity. Finally, the city closed down the operation.
A protective fence that surrounded the property left an eerie reminder – almost a ghost of a restaurant that now, truly, faced its end. For years, this restaurant sat forlornly with no repairs. Several hundred passersby adorned the fence with ribbons, notes and photos of a place they remembered long ago.