Although this little pie-shaped building on North Lake Avenue has served as a real estate office and seen its share of struggling restaurants, in the 1960s it was the successful “J.R. Coffee Shop”. The diner was one of three restaurants that made up a small chain called “The Headliner” on Pasadena’s Colorado Street between the old Star-News building (hence the name) and the Presbyterian Church.
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A second restaurant was located on the southeast corner of Altadena Drive and Washington where McDonald’s is currently located. And the smallest in the chain was in Altadena – thus the Junior moniker. (Some locals refer to the diner by its initials, J.R.)
A long time Altadena resident said “It was a hamburger, fries and milk-shake kind of place, much like Bob’s Big Boy. I ate there often with my family. It was so nice to have a local diner.”
Today it’s the location of the popular restaurant, El Patron.