​Restaurants

Restaurants, coffee shops, and drive ins were often known as much for their signs as their architecture.  The first and best Googie architecture was in Southern California, often called Coffee Shop Modern.  These started popping up in the late 1940s.   However, great examples could be found throughout the country dating to the 1950s and early 1960s.  Many of these restaurants are still there.  Less so the signs which proved hard to maintain.  Googie architecture was dismissed at the time as being overly commercial.  But isn't that American culture?  Much of it was commercial art and the architects were given freer rein by their clients.  The most expressive part was the signs, but the buildings architecture  was often quite flamboyant.