THE BEACH BOYS CAFE!!!!!

[KokoMoses]

There was briefly a "Beach Boys Cafe" in Manhattan Beach on PCH and Artesia around 91/92. It closed down very quickly, if I remember correctly. It's a Round Table Pizza now. I think the Beach Boys actually owned and opened it.

Did anyone ever go there?

I remember a radio contest where you could win lunch there with The Beach Boys.

[southbay]

Yep, I went there in August 1992.  Was decorated in BB memorabilia, signed guitars, etc.  I thought it was a nice place, good food. My complaint at the time was that they were playing top 40 radio in the restaurant, not Beach Boys, oh well

[KokoMoses]

Top 40!!!!!! Ugh!!

If they really wanted the fans to pour in, they would've had a jukebox crammed full of stuff from the vaults!
Instead, like most decisions in that era, they went for what Carl called "the meat & potatos crowd"

[Steve Mayo]

wasn't opened long. i have quite a few menu's and other items with the group name on them filed away somewhere.

[PongHit]

And didn't Mike have a Kokomo restaurant or something too?

[Andrew G. Doe]

The Original Beach Boys Cafe opened in Hermosa, May 29 1992. Summer 1993 it relocated to Mission Beach, where it closed within a year.

[Mr. Wilson]

Yea i went there in Sept 92 for my birthday..Nice place..!  i STILL..Have a tshirt from the place..!!!

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Why Hermosa?

[donald]

Why Hermosa?

[The Shift]

Where's Hermosa?

[southbay]

Where's Hermosa?

In LA's "south bay", between Manhattan and Redondo.  Hawthorne is inland about 5-10 minutes.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I mean, Hermosa is a cool place, and I like it there...but I think something like that would be more successful elsewhere.  Somewhere more touristy.

[the captain]

This thread has a lot of exclamation points for just two pages.

[KokoMoses]

Why Hermosa?

Well, it was at an odd location. If they'd put it right off the Beach in Manhattan, it might have lasted a while.

The actual location is in a weird area where Hermosa/Redondo/Manhattan kinda criss/cross and intermingle.
My high school is just up the street and is technically in Manhattan but if you pass the next intersection about 10 feet away, you're in Redondo.

I wonder if anyone won that "Lunch With The Beach Boys"

[southbay]

Why Hermosa?

Well, it was at an odd location. If they'd put it right off the Beach in Manhattan, it might have lasted a while.

The actual location is in a weird area where Hermosa/Redondo/Manhattan kinda criss/cross and intermingle.
My high school is just up the street and is technically in Manhattan but if you pass the next intersection about 10 feet away, you're in Redondo.

I wonder if anyone won that "Lunch With The Beach Boys"

Somebody probably did, because I won "2d Prize" in that contest which was an autographed SIP poster

[Marty Castillo]

I ran across a couple Beach Boys Cafe items on eBay. Subsequently, I did a search here that brought up this and another thread. It seems like this may have been a trial balloon that never went beyond the one location. This would certainly seem to try to capitalize off of the tourist themed restaurants that exploded in the early to mid-90s. Hard Rock Cafe was already established, but you had Planet Hollywood (1991), Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville (second location open in 1992), Rainforest Cafe (1994), Official All Star Cafe (1995) and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company (1996)--among others.

I came across this matchbook and menu on eBay (photos not mine):








I also found these videos that give brief glimpses inside apparently shot by a contractor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n89njMswj0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPywOYEtQvk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ejxXXFJE3Q


I'm curious if BRI had ownership or licensed the name. Also, would love to see any photos from inside and other memorabilia from this short lived venture.

[Pretty Funky]

Opened in May 92 apparently.

http://esquarterly.com/bellagio/1992.html

Oh dear!
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-12-24/local/me-3530_1_hermosa-beach



http://www.adgraph.com/awnings/images/backlit-awning-beach-boys.jpg

[Marty Castillo]

Opened in May 92 apparently.

http://esquarterly.com/bellagio/1992.html

Oh dear!
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-12-24/local/me-3530_1_hermosa-beach



http://www.adgraph.com/awnings/images/backlit-awning-beach-boys.jpg

The LA Times article names an owner, Steven Jacobson, which suggests to me that it was a licensing agreement with the band and not owned by them.

I don't believe the photo you linked to is the same Beach Boys Cafe as it looks much too recent (and off theme) considering what AGD posted:

The Original Beach Boys Cafe opened in Hermosa, May 29 1992. Summer 1993 it relocated to Mission Beach, where it closed within a year.

[Jim V.]

What the sh*t was the "Brian Wilson's Kokomo Platter" or whatever on that menu? Quite an odd title to associate Brian's name with huh? Considering he had zip to do with the song. Seems like whoever threw that menu together only know a handful of Beach Boys, and only one Beach Boys' name.

[Marty Castillo]

What the sh*t was the "Brian Wilson's Kokomo Platter" or whatever on that menu? Quite an odd title to associate Brian's name with huh? Considering he had zip to do with the song. Seems like whoever threw that menu together only know a handful of Beach Boys, and only one Beach Boys' name.

I was waiting for someone else to notice that. Again, seems like they licensed the name, provided some memorabilia and that was it. Just odd.

[Pretty Funky]

Opened in May 92 apparently.

http://esquarterly.com/bellagio/1992.html

Oh dear!
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-12-24/local/me-3530_1_hermosa-beach



http://www.adgraph.com/awnings/images/backlit-awning-beach-boys.jpg

The LA Times article names an owner, Steven Jacobson, which suggests to me that it was a licensing agreement with the band and not owned by them.

I don't believe the photo you linked to is the same Beach Boys Cafe as it looks much too recent (and off theme) considering what AGD posted:

The Original Beach Boys Cafe opened in Hermosa, May 29 1992. Summer 1993 it relocated to Mission Beach, where it closed within a year.

Yeah your'e right.

http://myfunflorida.com/2011/01/beach-boys-caf/

This place seems to be totally unrelated. I guess the term 'Beach Boys' has been around longer than the group at the end of the day.

[Pretty Funky]

What the sh*t was the "Brian Wilson's Kokomo Platter"

The cafe would phone you up 4 hours before you knew you wanted it I believe. 

[Vernon Surfer]

What the sh*t was the "Brian Wilson's Kokomo Platter" or whatever on that menu? Quite an odd title to associate Brian's name with huh? Considering he had zip to do with the song. Seems like whoever threw that menu together only know a handful of Beach Boys, and only one Beach Boys' name.

probably gave Brian a bad case of indigestation.

[Vernon Surfer]

Opened in May 92 apparently.

http://esquarterly.com/bellagio/1992.html

Oh dear!
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-12-24/local/me-3530_1_hermosa-beach

I bet that the Beatles were behind this

http://www.adgraph.com/awnings/images/backlit-awning-beach-boys.jpg

[Mendota Heights]

My complaint at the time was that they were playing top 40 radio in the restaurant, not Beach Boys, oh well

So they played Summer in Paradise, then.