Katelyn Pagnini leans on the nostalgic sounds of a jukebox inside Rocky Cola Café. Photo by Robb Fulcher
Rocky Cola Café on Sunday will end its 20-year run as the big, red and white diner on the buzzing intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Aviation Boulevard in Hermosa Beach.
Owner Wally Curry, a Redondo Beach resident, said the 1960s-themed diner with night-owl hours, plump red booths and an extensive fitness menu fell victim to the down-turned economy and rising lease costs.
“We were doing great until ’08, then the bottom fell out,” Curry said. “It will be almost 20 years to the day. We opened Aug. 12, 1991, and we’re closing Aug. 21, 2011.”
Wally Curry ends a 20-year run. Photo by Robb Fulcher
Weekend business remained strong, but weekday business fell off, he said. In a sign of the times, realtors, building contractors and their crews stopped showing up for weekday lunches.
“You can’t do this on two days a week,” Curry said.
Smoking was prohibited inside Rocky Cola before it was banned by state law. But Curry said the no-alcohol aspect of the diner’s healthy, family orientation might have worked against it in the long run.
“We never pursued alcohol, when everyone else did. That’s probably one thing we should have done in hindsight. We were ahead of the curve on cigarettes, but we were behind the curve on alcohol,” he said with a chuckle.
Curry also said he faced a rising lease cost, with a term shorter than he wanted. Landlord Chris Bredesen was away and could not be reached for comment.
Rocky Cola’s health menu accounted for about 40 percent of its sales, and Curry recalls bodybuilders flocking in for low-fat, high-protein dishes made with egg whites or buffalo meat.
“In the ‘90s we had all the body builders coming in, but that kind of faded,” he said.
Curry said “sales almost doubled” on the days of body building shows that were held in Manhattan Beach.
“It’s been a wonderful experience for us,” he said. “I’ve always considered Aviation [Boulevard] the gateway to Hermosa. I want to thank Hermosa for all the support.”
Katelyn Pagnini, who has worked as a hostess and waitress for more than six years, beginning when she was 14 with a work permit, described as “awesome” her experience at Rocky Cola.
“It’s like family, we’re all pretty close,” said Pagnini, one of the diner’s 35 employees, who also is a student with a pre-nursing major at El Camino College.
Turning to future prospects, Curry said he hopes to “do something” in the South Bay, and in the meantime a Rocky Cola Café continues to operate in Montrose, under manager Lucy DiMino.
“We sell a lot of cupcakes out there,” Curry said. “We have more than 50 flavors of cupcakes.”
around 2004 i went to rocky cola in h.b. with friends for the first time for me. it appeared unclean, food subpar, but caters to the uninformed diners, those who survive on junk food at high prices, typical fake cheese and lowest cut burgers similar to all the other rubber stamped burger joints that dominate the usa. most of these places want to sell sugar fat and salt and charge ridiculous prices to the ignorant. it would behoove mr. curry to watch the t.v. show DINERS DRIVEINS AND DIVES, pick out a few thought out dishes and maybe try again. ill bet mr. curry has never had a real corn beef on rye at LANGERS ,, 7th and alvarado.
re; rocky cola hermosa beach. the food is poor , prices high, service ok. noise loud. selection just like everywhere else. below fair. saalt sugar and fat is small variety of choices. and of course lots of sugar colas overpriced. probable not real ice cream but a lab room concoction ,,, yes like everyone else sells. so, why would anyone go there on a reguoar basis? i once told tom who owns scottys on the strand to go to langers at 7th and alvarado to try some muich better food. he refused.
I have enjoyed eating at the Rocky Cola Cafe for the past 20 years and every time I went it was a great experience. The food was great, lots of choices and the kids love it still even as teenagers. It is sad to know that it will not be there anymore
Torrance might welcome a Rocky Cola Cafe. :)
aloha roberts ~ u are a nincompoop, low-life dillweed, angry looser.. u have nothing else better to do than voice these words againts Rocky Cola Cafe? If your voice was worth anything Roberts, you would pick a bigger battle and try to change the world, versus voice your little petty peeves against a fine local establishment that has been here for years… Spend U time on something bigger and better Roberts, or is your voice just little like your pee pee :) Again, the battle someone picks is what their voise is worth and yours Roberts is just pathetic and nincompoopiable!!
It was a good run for Rocky Cola so thanks to them for contributing to the community. I think Ocean Diner’s presence so close by probably took a toll. That place always seems to be buzzing.
I liked the Rocky Cola Cafe because of the 1950s Americana but in todays soceity who knows or memembers or cares about that and I guess Rubys will be next. God Bless America, The Wolfman
Why don’t you go another country and live there and see how clean it is
I and many of my life long friends helped open Rocky Cola. I love Wally and I know I can speak for my friends too. Rocky Cola in its hay day was the place to be. We were cute and had great food for a great price. We were the health food pioneers back in the day before it was cool. Before the smoking band we had the best smoking section EVER! I am sorry to see the Hermosa Beach location close. I met the father of my most amazing chlid there. We are forever thankful to Wally and Hermosa Beach for all the good times and lasting relationships that were formed at 1025 PCH!!!
That’s so sad! I worked there from 93 to 96 and had a wonderful time! I made friends for life @ Rocky Cola Cafe