Groceteria.com

I've noticed a few of these buildings around Southern California and I was told it was once a chain of steakhouses... but I am not sure.. Does anyone have any idea? The buildings are pretty much identical, these are the only three I could remember off hand, but I am sure there are others out there.

Hospitality Ln, San Bernardino - Currently a Coco's
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=242+E+Hos ... 31.66,,0,5

Pacific Coast highway, Torrence area - Coco's again
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=red ... 7.2,,0,5.1

Florida Ave, Hemet - Former Hemet Federal Bank/Guaranty Bank. Empty.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 78.54,,0,5

Any ideas?

Baker's Square (Vicorp) comes to mind.

Coco's in the 80's purchased the Ruebens Steakhouse chain, I know they had a few fancier locations like the one on Colorado Blvd and Michelinda in Pasadena, and Whittier Bl in Whittier by Whittwood.

Jeff wrote:Coco's in the 80's purchased the Ruebens Steakhouse chain, I know they had a few fancier locations like the one on Colorado Blvd and Michelinda in Pasadena, and Whittier Bl in Whittier by Whittwood.

Exactly. Yet, I believe that this style had been a model for the Coco's sites at the time. The site in Hacienda Heights (Colima @ Azusa) is the same design, correct?

I remember when it was built AS a Coco's. Currently, an Asian restaurant.

Thanks guys! From reading Wiki, it looks like Coco's owned Reuben's and ultimatly rebranded most of them Coco's in the 1980's. It would make sense that they used the design for both chains. I now seem to remember that the Coco's in Carlsbad, CA near Plaza Camino Real had a Reuben's in it's basement.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=pla ... 312.4,,0,5

Here's a street view of a Coco's in Riverside (across form the Riverside Plaza) that also once had the "basement" Reubens (the stairs "down" are still readily visible out front):
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UT ... 74,,0,3.79

And here's another Coco's at the other end of town (near the Galleria at Tyler mall), which was built about 1980 as a Coco's:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UT ... 82.59,,0,5

I was wondering if the Coco's across from the Plaza once had a Reuben's in the basement.. I used to eat at the location a lot when my grandfather worked down the street. Did the Coco's near the Tyler Mall have a Reuben's downstairs also?

I wonder what the reasoning behind getting rid of the Reuben's brand and focusing on the Coco's brand. Perhaps the economy of the 1980's had something to do with it.

In Lancaster there used to be a Coco's Restaurant located at 1525 W. Ave. K with the style of roof depicted in the pictures in this thread. I don't think this restaurant was ever anything else. The other cool thing about this restaurant is that there is a bubbled window by the front door that little kids can look out of. Oh, I don't know when this place closed, and if you are wondering what this restuarant is now - it's Called the PitStop Bar & Grill.

A building exactly like this one was built in Savannah, Georgia around 1980. It was located on Hodgson Memorial Drive, immediately east of Oglethorpe Mall. As the building was being constructed, a sign out front said "Coming Soon....Coco's." When the restaurant opened, it was instead a locally-owned restaurant, and Coco's never came to Savannah. The name Coco's was somewhat familiar, so the chain must have had locations in Atlanta, as well. In my frequent visits to Atlanta, I have never noticed a building of this type, however.

ieguy441 wrote:I was wondering if the Coco's across from the Plaza once had a Reuben's in the basement.. I used to eat at the location a lot when my grandfather worked down the street. Did the Coco's near the Tyler Mall have a Reuben's downstairs also?

No, the Magnolia Ave. location (across from the mall) did not have a Reubens (or a basement).

ieguy441 wrote:I was wondering if the Coco's across from the Plaza once had a Reuben's in the basement.. I used to eat at the location a lot when my grandfather worked down the street. ...

From the Jan. 20, 1970 edition of the Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper regarding the then newly-opened Reuben's at 3640 Central Ave. (across from the Riverside Plaza):

The Riverside restaurant shares a unique split-level building with a Coco's Coffee Shop, Reuben's occupying the semi-subterranean area with the coffee shop above it. Each facility has a separate entrance.

The new restaurant brings to 40 the number of eating houses operated by John Reuben McIntosh, who started about 20 years ago with a snack shop on the Coast Highway near Corona Del Mar.

Among the McIntosh operations are the simulated riverboat restaurants called Reuben E. Lee, the original of which is in Newport Beach, a second in San Diego and a third, just opened, in St. Louis.

Most of the McIntosh operations are in California, but in addition to the St. Louis restaurant, he has one in Hawaii and another in Arizona.

...

Reuben's has been open for about three weeks. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The lounge remains open every night until 2 a.m. for cocktails and entertainment.

Dinner prices range from $2.95 to $6.25.

__________
Here's a recent photo of the 3640 Central Ave. location (note the stairway and blank signage on the right for the former Reuben's):

We had one of these buildings in Reno, NV with the bubbled window near the lobby but I never remember it as Coco's. It was something called Cattin's but closed and was demolished within the past five years or so. It was a few blocks from a Carrows. When did Cocos and Carrows become related?