Fisher’s For Finer Foods
It was a diner opened in 1947 by Clarence Lewald Fischer. A Milwaukee native, Clarence served in WWI and came to Pasadena in the 1930s and worked in the hospitality industry.
The restaurant was a fixture on East Colorado Boulevard for 13 years, changed its name to Sid Haupt’s (Clarence’s business partner) in 1960, and eventually closed in 1962.
The building survives today as Gin Sushi.
PPP is a narrated series that shares stories about a place in and around Pasadena, CA, and how they look today.
The purpose of this series is to make a historical connection to the now so that we better understand our community, our city, and our world.
The first episode (Episode 42) in the occasional series is about Fisher’s for Finer Foods, a diner located at 3589 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.
Van de Kamp’s Coffee Shop
In 1927, Mr. And Mrs. George Langtree opened a “Dutch Drive in Market” featuring Van de Kamp baked goods, a deli, a meat market and flowers, fruit and vegetables on the corner of South Bonnie Avenue and East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.
Van de Kamp would expand the location and Clarence Fischer (co-owner of The Headliner restaurant chain and Fisher’s for Finer Foods) was involved before leaving the windmills behind.
We know it today as a Chick-fil-A.
Historic Photo Credit: Los Angeles Public Library