It could be the end of an era for a place that came to define a certain Los Angeles architectural and dining aesthetic.
If all goes as planned, the diner's iconic sawtooth “Norms” sign on La Cienega Boulevard, one of Los Angeles' few remaining examples of mid-century Googie diner architecture, would be replaced by ” Dogs”. Goodbye to the retro diner known for steak and eggs, hello to a new outpost for Raising Cane's fast-food chicken strips.
Norms' other Southern California locations would continue to operate under the proposal. But La Cienega's location is iconic. It was the subject of a famous Ed Ruscha painting, “Norm's, La Cienega, On Fire” and was granted landmark status for its space-age appearance so associated with postwar Los Angeles.
The restaurant group that owns Raising Cane's, a fast-food chicken chain, owns the space that houses the iconic Norms location and plans to move the location to Raising Cane's in 2027, when Norms' lease on the space ends.
“Raising Cane plans to keep the legacy of Norm's alive and maintain, forever, the iconic Googie-style architecture made famous by Armét & Davis as we begin improvements to restore the property and serve delicious chicken fingers to the Los Angeles community. Angeles,” Raising Cane's representatives said in a statement to the Times.
The company shared a rendering of the new plan for the space with The Times. The main alteration is changing the iconic sawtooth pennant neon sign to read “Cane's” instead of Norms.
Norms has a lease in place at its La Cienega location through December 2026.
(Raising the cane)
Because the Norms location has been a Los Angeles historic landmark since 2015, Raising Cane's has to present its plan to the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission. He is scheduled to appear before the commission on December 5.
But some Angelenos oppose changing the restaurant, even if Raising Cane's doesn't alter the architectural structure of the site.
“The idea of transforming Norms from an affordable, family-friendly restaurant to a place to go for fried chicken blows my mind,” said Kim Cooper, one of the two people behind Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles.
Cooper discovered the change while reviewing the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission's upcoming agenda. He realized that Raising Cane's was looking to change the use of the space.
“It is much more than a building. “This is a place that has been open 24 hours a day… The rules are a part of people’s lives and have been for 67 years, which in Los Angeles is basically a millennium,” Cooper said.
Cooper encouraged Angelenos to show up at the Cultural Heritage Commission's December hearing to express their displeasure with Norms becoming Raising Cane's.
Norms La Cienega was designed by Louis Armet and Eldon Davis in the famous California “Googie” style in 1957.
Ed Ruscha, “Norm's, La Cienega, on Fire”, 1964. Oil and pencil on canvas. From the artist's retrospective, “Ed Ruscha / Now Then”, at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
(Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)
The restaurant's Googie style is a mode of futuristic architecture that began in Southern California and featured sharp geometric shapes, sweeping curves and bright, sometimes neon, lights. The style was often used in gas stations and coffee shops.
“Norms is in the same realm as Manns and Panns Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Cartel. “It's very iconic for Los Angeles,” said Damian Sullivan, a television producer and historian of roadside architecture.
The first Norms was opened in Hollywood by the former owner of the same name, Norm Roybark, in 1949, and the iconic La Cienega location first opened its doors in 1957. Roybark sold the company to CapitalSpring in 2015.
The chain currently has 24 locations in Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties and is even opening a location in Las Vegas.
Norms did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
