In the middle of the night, restaurants like Denny’s and Norms are popular dining spots – Daily Breeze

Like steak and baked potatoes, late-night dinner is part of Southern California culture.

“Twenty-four/seven has been part of the diner model for many, many years,” said Michael Colonna, president and chief operating officer of Norms Restaurants.

Hotcakes are one of the signature dishes at Norms, known for its late night dining, on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 in West Hollywood. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

According to the chain, about 75% of Denny’s restaurants are open 24 hours a day, including this one at Del Obispo in Dana Point. (Photo by David Bro, contributing photographer)

A man eats dinner at Norms, known for its late-night dining, on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in West Hollywood. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

A man picks up food at Norms, known for its late-night dining, on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in West Hollywood (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Norms, known for its late night dining, will be open 24 hours a day in West Hollywood on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

People line up outside a Denny’s restaurant in Irvine in the early hours of the morning to get a free Grand Slam breakfast. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, The Orange County Register/SCNG)

Ed and Kathy Moshaver of Beverly Hills share the Chef’s Sampler Platter at Norms, known for its late night dining, on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 in West Hollywood. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Cory Woodard serves the Martinez-Prado family of Koreatown at Norms, known for its late-night dining, in West Hollywood on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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Hotcakes are one of the signature dishes at Norms, known for its late night dining, on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 in West Hollywood. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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Norms, based in Bellflower, is a go-to spot for people looking for a sit-down meal in the early hours of the morning. Another is Denny’s, which offers a signature breakfast sandwich evocatively named “Moons Over My Hammy.”

Both chains were founded in Southern California after World War II, when California was on its way to becoming the most populous state in the country and many people were moving to work late shifts in factories.

Norms was founded in 1949 by Norm Roybark, a car salesman. He opened his first restaurant near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, roughly opposite where the Cinerama Dome is today.

Denny’s was founded in 1953 as a store called Danny’s Donuts in Lakewood. As the company grew, it evolved into a coffee shop and changed its name to Denny’s in 1961 to avoid confusion with a competitor, as George Geary recounts in his book “Made in California.”

Denny’s is now based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and has more than 1,500 locations worldwide, most of which are franchises.

About 75% of Denny’s restaurants are open 24 hours a day, officials said. According to representatives, almost half of customers order a breakfast dish late at night and early in the morning. About 15% of them order entrees like chicken wings.

Norms remain a phenomenon in Southern California. It has 23 locations, all currently in Southern California. But it is working on its first Nevada location in Las Vegas, a city that never sleeps. It is located at 4605 W Charleston Blvd., west of the Las Vegas Strip.

About half of Norms locations are open around the clock. Other locations such as Riverside, Inglewood and Costa Mesa are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m

Steak and eggs

Norms is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a “retro menu” of comfort foods like meatloaf and pork chops, but the anniversary is really about the place Norms holds in the communities it serves, Colonna said in a telephone interview.

“It’s not just a product, a menu item or a price. We really try to honor the history of our people and our guests.”

He described it as “truly Middle America.”

“A lot of people are working. There are hospital employees who work third shift. There are still some graveyard layers. In Long Beach and other areas of SoCal, you see a two-generation family sitting next to a bunch of college students.”

According to Colonna, Roybark’s goal was to serve a great breakfast and T-bone steaks to attract a crowd for dinner. These goals are the cornerstones of a 24/7 restaurant.

“There is this group that wants to have the last meal of the evening. And many people also try to eat the first meal of the day,” he said.

“I would say breakfast is probably the No. 1 option. Lots of bacon, lots of sausage. Our hotcakes are award-winning. We make them with pastry flour and real buttermilk.”

Hopping after dark

Restaurants operate all night long because LA is not a sleepy city, he said.

See also: These LA County restaurants are open 24/7

“We have five or six locations that are changing. You have to remember that some of our restaurants are in an area where there may be 300,000 to 400,000 people within a three mile radius.”

He pointed out that restaurants in Lakewood and West Hollywood are particularly lively after dark.

“La Cienega Boulevard is a great location. There is a lot of activity around the clock, both pedestrian and car traffic.”

But as you move away from the heart of the metropolitan area, cities tend to roll up the sidewalks.

Some establishments offer limited evening menus. “It’s a little reduced. But you can get breakfast, lunch, burgers, full meals and salad. The variety is very, very robust,” he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the closure of indoor dining in California in 2020 and 2021, has changed the demand for late-night dining, Colonna said.

“It’s not as significant as it was pre-COVID, and the lifestyles are just different – going out late at night, the bar business. The social activities at night are a little more home-based.”

According to the chain, Denny’s Gen-Z and Millennial customers are leaning toward “off-premise” channels, meaning takeout. There are three virtual brands serving takeout: The Meltdown, which serves grilled sandwiches, The Burger Den and Banda Burrito.

Restaurants that want to stay open 24 hours need to bring their A game, Colonna said. He described Norms’ night shifts as first class and said they all had managers on site. They also have security and good relationships with law enforcement.

“If you want to design a cemetery, you have to do it well,” he said. “You need honest, hard-working people and you have to make sure you can make it happen. Customers just won’t tolerate anything bad happening and will probably end up on the street in a thoroughfare somewhere.”

information

Norms restaurants: norms.com

Denny’s: Dennys.com