Highly anticipated SoCal diner about to open in Las Vegas
Las Vegas is about to go Googie.
Norms, the beloved coffee shop chain founded in Los Angeles in 1949, offers some of the most famous examples of Googie architecture, the futuristic style popular in the mid-20th century, especially among roadside businesses in Southern California.
The opening of a Las Vegas location has been highly anticipated since the Las Vegas Review-Journal first reported the news about a year ago. Now, the Norms restaurant on West Charleston Boulevard appears to be nearing completion, as evidenced by a visit to the site on Tuesday. A grand opening is planned for early November, according to information received by the RJ.
Googie architecture featured angled roofs, stretches of glass, and the use of geometric shapes to suggest energy or speed. The movement drew inspiration from American optimism following World War II, the dawn of the Space Age and the flourishing of car culture.
The signature Norms sign, each letter set within a vertical stack of sawtooth pennants, has become a Googie icon, the letters seemingly caught for an instant as they streak past. A version of that sign is already installed at the restaurant, 4605 W. Charleston Blvd., although the buildout of an existing structure is not an example of the classic Googie style.
In its 75 years and 23 locations, Norms has never expanded beyond SoCal — until now. The signature hot cakes are just ahead.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.