I don’t know if Buckley’s at 5101 S. Figueroa St, south of downtown LA actually served the good food as advertised on their neon sign, but from the looks of their opening night on April 10, 1937, they gave it their best shot. Saving one spotlight to shine on the restaurant and staff gathered out front, they also had two other ones dramatically shining into the night sky that I’m sure people for miles around could see.
Here’s a close-up of Buckley’s staff:
Buckley’s stood on the southwest corner of Figueroa and 51st Street. This is how that corner looked in August 2022.
One thing we know for sure was that this was an actual eat-in-your-car service location. “Drive In” is stated on the lower sign in the first image. They employed car hops and we can see uniforms in the close-up. A second awning is barely visible to the left, so maybe that’s an additional seating patio. This place was capable of serving more patrons than might appear possible in the image.
I meant a second parked vehicle..shadowy looking back there.