Going on the 1935 Ford in the foreground, this photo of Carpenter’s drive-in restaurant at the corner of Glendale Blvd and Silver Lake Blvd was taken some time in the mid-to-late 1930s. And it was certainly still around in the mid 1940s when it was used as a location in Warner Bros.’s “Mildred Pierce.” I’m also curious about that tower in the back ground. The Rite Spot was a restaurant, and the two places combined made up what was known as Carpenter’s Village.
** UPDATE ** – The consensus is that Carpenter’s address was 606 E. Colorado Street (not Blvd), which puts it at or near the intersection of Glendale Avenue (not Blvd), in Glendale. My thanks to everyone who chimed in to clarify the location.
It’s Carpenter’s Village at Glendale & Colorado. The original Rite Spot was at 1500 Colorado Blvd. in the then West Pasadena area (near Annandale and now in the Eagle Rock District). Some sources say that when Carpenter aquired the Rite Spot location and name, he then built this one at IIRC 600 W. Colorado (a few blocks east of Bob’s 300 Big Boy address). I’m still seaching for a definitive answer on that. It might be the same structure known post-war under another name and remodelled in 1947 as pre-Googie project.
Correcting addresses: Carpenter’s/Henry’s was 600 block of “East” Colorado “Street”. Bob’s was at 900 block of same, about three blocks due west toward Brand. “West” Colorado “Blvd.” is apparently only the section east of Glendale crossing the Eagle Rock District. [The alternate reference in the pre-freeway era seems to be State Highway (134?) acting as the connection between Interstate 99 and Interstate 66, Route 66 having been shifted in places at various times.]
The Rite Spot was a restaurant that claims they invented the cheeseburger. However, the location where it is said to have been invented was in Pasadena, not this one in Glendale. This LA Times article from 2012 has the details: https://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/news/tn-gnp-xpm-2012-01-13-tn-pas-0113-the-cheeseburger-was-invented-in-pasadena-probably-20120113-story.html
found this : Harry B. Carpenter founded the Carpenter’s chain with his brother Charles and operated many locations in Los Angeles including: Sunset and Vine, Wilshire and Western, Wilshire and La Cienega, Wilshire and Vine, Pico and Vermont, Silver Lake and Glendale, and Sunset and Virgil. In 1936, after separating from his brother, Charles E. Carpenter opened three Carpenter’s Cafes. A transitional project Carpenter’s Village (606 E. Colorado in Glendale) combined a Rite Spot Cafe and Carpenter’s drive-in. Next he opened the Rite Spot Cafe in Pasadena, but now considered Eagle Rock, and the Santa Anitan Cafe at Huntington and Colorado. https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/39811
He actually aquired the 1500 Colorado Blvd. Rite Spot from the founder Lionel Sternberger. It was considered West Pasadena back then and fell into the Eagle Rock District which had expanded after Eagle Rick City was absorbed into Los Angeles. The crossing of the hills at Avenue 64 was right up through the old Annandale area where Pacific Electric had first ventured off of the original Pasadena line that came up by Highland Park. The opening of a bridge along the projected Glendale-Pasadena roadway made the hilltops a perfect spot for the Sternberger fruit stand which added the food services later. This is probably where Lionel invented the cheeseburger known as the Aristocrat, as he supposedly showed it to his father before serving it to a customer (his brother left an account of some of this). The stories vary by sources. Lionel may also have opened a Pasadena location that went to Carpenter, or it may have been built after the sale and licensing of the name…also unclear.
Lionel did use the Rite Spot name in two other ventures, but for how long is also cloudy. Brand Boulevard was ine of them, Highland Park was the other.
I used to eat at Brite Spot in Rosemead (close to Pasadena) when I worked there years ago. I wonder if they were trying to associate themselves with Rite Spot.
One postcard from the later “Henry’s” era shows Carpenter’s Santa Anitan in Arcadia, with a Henry’s in Alhambra….guess they controlled it all then. But no mention of Rosemead. Was it a drive-in with car service?
No, it was just a coffee shop.
The interesting thing about the 606 Colorado Blvd location is that is where the United Artist theatre is, which was opened in 1931. The building remains and functions as a gym and restaurant.
That one is East Colorado in Pasadena. West Colorado seem to run from the Glendale side across Eagle Rock to the Arroyo bridge zone. There was a projected roadway across this entire foothill region found at least as far back as the 1880’s in the Garvanza-Eagle Rock railroad scheme, but lot’s of plans never came to fruition. They were selling a tract in what may be lower Glendale now (around the later Tropico townsite). Just to be sure, some maps show the early Tropico station in a place that was known as West Glendale station. Confusing as it implies Tropico was shifted south to a new site which is now Glendale Station. Pasadena hasn’t moved an inch however.
Carpenter’s Village from another angle showing both towers.
https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/34931
I think I’m beginning to see what may be the source of confusion. Looking at a Bob’s menu, they’re showing Colorado in Glendale is Boulevard, while in Pasadena it is called Street…so there could be east and west divisions for each section. Bob’s Glendale was listed as 900 E. Colorado Blvd. on that menu.
The reason for the large complex at Carpenter’s Village at Glendale Avenue and Colorado seems to relate to the fact that they also ran their bakery and other food preparing facilities for Rite Spots at this site next to the dining facilities. (Info. printed on their menu back.)
Baking and bowling at Carpenter’s Village…https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/photos/id/36256/rec/3
Hi Martin, I did a search for Rite Spot Los Angeles and came up with something interesting—a documentation of a photo with an interesting credential, as well as reference to Rite Spot as a restaurant on the same property as Carpenters, owned by one of the founding brothers. Here is a link and I hope you can access it. https://calisphere.org/item/e80cd1be7ce1a9f7d8ffb3b27e244cfe/
Cheers! Ken
Thanks Ken. It looks like it all sorts of things were going on there!
Updating: 1949 images of the auto dealership Tower Motors at 600 E. Colorado Street (not Boulevard), show the now Henry’s (ex-Carpenter’s) is situated next door west at the corner (Glendale Avenue/Colorado St.). So, it would seem that the tower used by the car hawkers was previously that east tower of the old Rite Spot. Glendale historical records (a pdf report) shiw John Lautner had undertaken work for Henry’s remodelling in 1947 before the Googie’s project. Could this also relate to the entire Rite Spot site including Tower Motors?
Not to go too far astray here, but Glendale Avenue was the course of the old Glendale & Montrose Ry. which connected to Union Pacific (via Salt Lake Route heritage lines) passing the front of Forest Lawn to get down to the depot area on the east side of the Los Angeles River. Later, after the passenger services ended and the line was gradually cut back, it continued to serve as a freight line into the heart of this area. But changes in the routings and station points are complicated. Here in this old trainorders thread are some useful comments to understand it all and find resources:
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,4972628,nodelay=1