Great things about arriving at LAX - the airports' space age theme building is the first thing you see, then if you start driving in one direction you’ll see Randy’s donuts, and if you start driving in the other, you’ll run in to Panns Coffee Shop.
Panns Coffee Shop, family owned and run since 1958, is a kitsch Googie Armet & Davis designed dream come true.
(I digress, but how much do we love the work of Armet and Davis, who also designed Johnnies Coffee Shop, and the first Norms)
Panns enormous neon sign with the crazy font, space age succulent gardens, crazy paving walls, terrazzo floors, classic counter seating, and well-worn leather booths, all make it a kitsch kooky vintage must do. They even have a daily blue plate special.
Panns is also a darling of Hollywood location scouts, appearing often in movies and Tv, from XXX and Bewitched, to Mad Men and Matchstick Men.
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Southern California #117 - last visited June 2021
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