Chick-fil-A Sherman Oaks

Preserving a California Landmark for a New Generation

Long before it became a Chick-fil-A restaurant, this Sherman Oaks landmark helped define Southern California’s distinctive Googie architectural style. Emerging in the late 1940s, Googie celebrated the optimism of the Space Age with dramatic rooflines, bold geometric forms, expansive glass, and futuristic design inspired by automobile culture, atomic energy, and America’s fascination with the future.

Designed in 1958 by renowned architects Armet & Davis, the building’s iconic character earned it designation as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 1215 in 2020, recognizing its significance as both a neighborhood landmark and an outstanding example of mid-century commercial architecture.

This project embraced its history through thoughtful adaptive reuse. Narrate’s interiors team partnered with Chick-fil-A and architectural historian Alan Hess to create a modern restaurant experience that supports today’s operational needs while respecting the building’s historic character. The result demonstrates how preservation and contemporary design can work together—giving a beloved landmark a meaningful new purpose while ensuring its architectural legacy continues to serve the community.

Honoring the Past While Designing for Today

The interior design balances contemporary restaurant operations with the character of the original building. Updated materials, finishes, furnishings, and customer spaces complement the landmark architecture without competing with it, allowing the building’s unique form and historic details to remain the defining feature of the guest experience.

More than a restaurant renovation, the project illustrates how adaptive reuse can extend the life of culturally significant buildings by giving them a meaningful new purpose. By preserving an important example of Googie architecture while adapting it for modern use, the project celebrates the past while ensuring the landmark continues serving its community for years to come.

A Legacy of Design
The project also celebrates the legacy of Helen Liu Fong, the pioneering Chinese American interior designer whose work helped define Southern California’s Googie movement. As a lead interior designer at Armet & Davis, Fong shaped many of the region’s most recognizable mid-century restaurants, bringing bold color, dynamic geometry, and welcoming interiors to an architectural style often associated with dramatic exteriors. Over the decades, many of her original design elements were lost through successive renovations. This restoration honors her vision by helping reestablish the building’s distinctive character, allowing guests to once again experience the optimism and energy that made Googie architecture an enduring part of California’s design heritage.

Read more about this project and Helen Liu Fong here.

FAQ: Chick-fil-A Sherman Oaks

Q: What is Googie architecture?
A: Googie is a distinctive mid-century architectural style that emerged in Southern California during the late 1940s and 1950s. Known for dramatic rooflines, bold geometric forms, expansive glass, and futuristic design inspired by the Space Age and automobile culture, Googie became an iconic part of California’s commercial landscape.

Q: Why was this building preserved?

A: The building is designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 1215 in recognition of its architectural significance and its role in Southern California’s postwar commercial history. Originally designed by Armet & Davis in 1958, it is widely recognized as an outstanding example of Googie architecture. The adaptive reuse project preserves those defining characteristics while giving the landmark a new purpose for future generations.

Q: What role did Narrate play in the project?
A: Narrate’s interiors team partnered with Chick-fil-A to design interior spaces that support the restaurant’s operational needs while respecting and complementing the building’s historic architecture.

Q: Why is adaptive reuse important for historic commercial buildings?
A: Adaptive reuse extends the life of significant buildings by allowing them to serve contemporary needs while preserving the architectural features and cultural identity that make them valuable to their communities.

Q: How does the design balance history with modern restaurant operations?
A: The project carefully integrates updated interiors and customer amenities within the existing landmark structure, creating a restaurant experience that reflects today’s expectations while allowing the building’s historic design to remain the focal point.

Q: Who was Helen Liu Fong?

A: Helen Liu Fong was a pioneering Chinese American architect and interior designer whose work with the firm Armet & Davis helped define Southern California’s Googie movement. She designed interiors for many of the region’s most iconic mid-century restaurants, including Norms, Bob’s Big Boy, Denny’s, and Stanley Burke’s—the original restaurant that occupied this Sherman Oaks landmark. Her work emphasized bold color, dynamic geometry, and welcoming spaces that complemented Googie architecture’s expressive forms.