It wasn’t exactly the Hollywood sign, but Arby’s giant 10-gallon hat was something of a landmark on Sunset Boulevard.
When a farewell message went up under the hat thanking Hollywood for 55 great years, people noticed.
Among them was the news team at KTLA, which reported the closure of the fast food restaurant on Monday, June 17. The drive-thru was about a block from the station’s gates.
This Arby’s, at 5920 W. Sunset Blvd., was the chain’s first restaurant within Los Angeles city limits and one of the first in Southern California. The FX series “Baskets” staged a publicity stunt there in 2018 with cast members Zach Galifianakis, Martha Kelly and the late Louie Anderson working the counter and the drive-thru.
Franchisee Michael Leviton opened the location early in 1969, and it is still owned by his family.
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The chain is coming up on its 60th anniversary in July. It was founded in Ohio in 1964 by two brothers, Forrest and Leroy Raffel. The name comes from the first two letters of the words Raffel Brothers.
Although the chain specialized in roast beef sandwiches, it quickly became known for its Jamocha Shakes.
Arby’s had a Wild West theme, and in addition to their enormous neon signs its early buildings were shaped like Conostoga wagons. Some of the old buildings remain, but not as Arby’s.
Few of those vintage signs remain outside of Hollywood. A 2023 news story about efforts to renovate one in Williamsport, Pa., estimated there are fewer than 100. To learn more, visit the website RoadsideArchitecture.com.