Thought the story might be of interest to fans of Googie architecture. Here's a link to the local CBS afflitate who has a story filed:(CBS) DOWNEY, Calif. Someone's going to have some explaining to do Monday following the partial demolition of what used to be a 1950s-era car-hop diner.
http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_008113457.html
They discuss criminal charges for the tenant and/or landlord, including not obtaining a proper permit.
It also appears that a website has popped up regarding the landmark:
http://johniesbroiler.com/
Sad, although it may galvanize the community to do something positive about the landmark.