The Beverly Hills Diner aka Larry Parker's Diner in BEVERLY HILLS -- What happened to it????
Truly one of the greatest and most successful diners of all-time, Larry Parker's Diner located at 206 South Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, California 90212. With an overwhelming acceptance on the part of celebrities, sports figures and influential business and entertainment personalities, the diner, opened in August 1982, as The Beverly Hills Amusement & Dining Experience, a name that was way to long as my vintage 1960 Silver Cloud I Rolls-Royce limosine.However, it was fun watching the many cashier's trying to say the name over the loud piercing and blarring music and videos in that surrounded you from the time You entered the restaurant. We had some very fortunate opening experiences that led to the diners success. Larry being a former restauranteur in other business' brought his experience and my forte was in entertainment and nightclubs. We were the perfect blend for such a redicoulous idea, as city officials told us. "You can't make money selling food after 3:00 PM on Beverly Drive! GOOD LUCK!?" Telephones at each table? WHY? Larry introduced me to BIG FAT and JUICY BBQ RIBS, and I introduced him to the Beverly Hills community. My Mom and Dad owned the world-famous Beverly Hills Liquor Castle next door and I was head of the original "Chippendales" nightclub in Los Angeles. Newly opened across the street were two attorneys calling their new restaurant California Pizza Kitchen, which became their 1st of many locations, and later partnered up with Pepsi Cola. Larry's background was in fast foods and yogurt stores. We had both attended Beverly Hills High School, and we had many mutual friends. The waiting lines from day one were a block long. EVERYONE wanted a seat at the newly founded diner. We had security guards and velvet ropes, as any popular nightspot, and we kept that premise. Everybody was our friend, and we got accustomed to the many regulars that used are names, to get a front row seat, for all the late night action. As Larry spun the records and I greeted the throngs of customers,as the waitresses served up the specials in their 50's diner garb, and our delivery people on roller blades. It was truly a whos-who that came at all hours to take-out or eat in. Stevie Wonder, Muhammod Ali, Drew Barrymore, Desi Arnaz Jr., Mickey Rourke, Rodney Binginheimer, Paul Fegan, Billy Hensche, Buzz Aldrin, Norman Brokaw, Shaquille O'Neil, The Lakers, The Clippers, Magic "Earvin" Johson, Jim Brown, anybody and everybody ended up breaking bread at the diner! From Rock Stars to Rappers, From Real Estate moguls to the kids from the block, We were a HIT! The city certainly didn't make it easy, as there was NO PARKING after 2:00 AM so it took some getting use to from the many local neighbors. It was a nightmare of magnitude porportions, for the sleepy and the music and noise blarring from the front and back doors, didn't exactly make us very popular with residents. The crowds grew as the restaurant got notoriaty from radio stations and their DJs coming in late night. I did a 1 hour radio interview with Rodney Binginheimer on Rodney on the Rock from KROQ, we invited everyone listening to join us, for the 24 hour party we served up, daily. As we grew in popularity, so did the menu. Larry had created dishes, about 400. There was really nothing, You couldn't get. The menu had it all, from soup to nuts, and YES we had lots of nuts, at that hour of the morning! After I had moved on to Chippendales, once again, Larry met Debbie applying for a waitress position, and the rest was diner history. They married IN the diner, in front of witnesses' dining on meatloaf and barbequed chicken. Through the 80's and 90's Larry got an idea to flood the surrounding cities with bus bench ads, and there was no driving anywhere in California, that You would see a bus bench without the mass advertising campaign, larry applied to the restaurant. He must have had two million dollars in script (free food coupons)that he used in barter to acquire bus bench ads. As time was passing, Larry and Debbie had two son's and the diner was going on its almost seventeen years (17) in business. I had opened two galleries across the street, dealing in TV film, music and sports memorabilia and collectibles. The diners location today is Chin Chin Restaurant, My family retired, and closed its doors to the famous liquor company they founded, and I closed my galleries in January of 2002. It was quite a ride. Almost anyone who dined with us, truly misses the excitement, the stars, the food, Jaime my Royal Standard Poodle (the diner dog) certainly Larry and Debbie, and NOT missed was the noise, the car alarms, the customers loud voices and the over the top ear piercing music that filled the early morning streets of Beverly Hills.When You say 24 Hour Diner in Beverly Hills,it brings back the memories of once was The Beverly Hills Diner!... Remember; Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance. See You soon & hope You enjoyed going down memory lane with me! Life is short, EAT DESSERT 1st! David Harrison Levi itsmr5012u@aol.com I welcome ANY responses. Feel free to Email me and post Your own memories of the diner!