The Old Parasol Coffee Shop - Seal Beach, CA - Googie Architecture on Waymarking.com

According to the OC Register (by Jorge Barrientos):
The Seal Beach Mel's is the eighth in a chain of 1950s-style diners in Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is the Orange County's first Mel's Drive-In diner, said Steven Weiss, co-owner of the building. The restaurant is "drive-in" in name only, seats up to 125 people in the circular building and an additional 30 on its outdoor patio. Mel's Drive-In, made famous in George Lucas' 1973 film "American Graffiti" retains the Googie-style architecture and some of the decorative elements that gave the original Parasol its nostalgic charm. Inside, small working jukeboxes line the tables. Behind-the-scenes photos of Lucas and Ron Howard from the film dot the walls. Kids' meals come in classic car trays. Stories and pictures of the building's history also adorn the circular walls. "There's a lot of history in here,'' Weiss said. "We're very excited about this location. This is my baby.'' The Parasol, which opened in 1967, closed after lease negotiations sputtered with the building's owner. In 2004, it was slated for demolition as part of a massive overhaul of the aging Rossmoor Center shopping area that surrounded it. That prompted a vocal group of community members calling itself the Friends of the Parasol to organize a petition to save the building. Organizers said the petition had more than 10,000 signatures. Property and restaurant owners spent more than $2 million to restore the Parasol building, Weiss said.

Interesting Links:
Mels (visit link)
OCRegister Article (visit link)
OCRegister Article (visit link)
Press Telegram Article (visit link)
Comic Strip (visit link)
SpaceAgeCity (visit link) This website has lots of great information about Orange County's Googie Architecture.

Type of Structure: Building Upswept Roof / Folded Plate Roof(s): yes Large Dome(s): yes Large Sheet Glass Window(s): yes Boomerang and/or Arrow Shape(s): no Amoebae Shape(s): no Atomic Model(s): no If I knew, I'd be an architect: yes Physical Address: 12241 Seal Beach Boulevard Seal Beach, CA USA 90740 Web Address or URL: [Web Link] Starburst(s): Not Listed Exposed Steel Beam(s): Not Listed Flying Saucer/Rocket Shape(s): Not Listed

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