The classic "googie"-style coffee shop used to reside in the parking lot of Eastland Center in West Covina, California, close by the neighborhood where I grew up. Opened in 1957, Eastland was then only the sixth shopping mall in the Southland, and the first to be built adjacent to a freeway. The Huddle was down from the mall by the side of the westbound San Bernardino Freeway (US-99, I-10), right at the Citrus Avenue offramp.
(More on The Huddle restaurant chain.)
A familiar sight to any Covinan on their way home from L.A. in the 1960s...
The Huddle Eastland building was demolished and the TGI-Fridays that stands there now is a new structure. Check out my history of The Huddle at
ReplyDeletehttp://www.synthetrix.com/huddle/preface.htm
The only correction I would make is that this is NOT West Covina,it is Covina.My hometown.
ReplyDeleteSorry to contradict you, but Eastland has always been within the city limits of West Covina.
DeleteI second that contradiction. I grew up in West Covina and went to Covina High School, and I have never known the Eastland Shopping Center property to be anything but West Covina. And if you enter Covina into Google Maps, you'll see between Citrus and Barranca, everything south of Workman along this stretch is West Covina.
ReplyDeleteDo you have an estimate of when the Huddle went away? I graduated from Covina High in 1979, and I spent a lot of time in that area growing up, and I sure think I would remember that building. Wouldn't people just love to have that building now!!
ReplyDeleteI was away at college at the time, but I'm guessing The Huddle closed sometime around 1974-1975.
DeleteYes, they would love it. This was a big loss in terms of architecture but also culturally. The retro design of the rooms would be a major draw. I especially liked the room that was separated somewhat from the counter area, where the lighting was a little dimmer and the bar just adjacent, with piano. Clearly a room for adults, a destination for an evening out.
DeleteI know it was West Covina but I always thot of it as Covina...it felt like Covina
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame! Can you imagine how popular that fabulous 50's googie coffee shop would be today? Kind of like 50's Disneyland Tomorrow Land. Another shame.
ReplyDeleteMy sister was a cocktail waitress at the Huddle in the late 1950’s. The Bill Black Combo performed there during the time. They were a Jass Group and she was friends with the group.
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