The co-owner of the historic Irv’s Burgers stand in West Hollywood, Calif., says she again is being pressured to move, reported the West Hollywood Patch.
The website reported:
Sonia Hong, owner of 62-year-old Irv’s Burgers, said associates of her new commercial neighbors went to the sidewalk eatery in late December bearing warnings of a rent increase, termination of her month-to-month lease and offers of leads to new places where she could relocate Irv’s.
Hong said she didn’t know the full names of the individuals who approached her.
“There’s two units in this one lot,” Hong said. “This guy who’s putting a coffee shop is trying to kick me out of this place, and he’s trying to put his own mini-Johnny Rockets. … I want to stay here and work it out instead of getting kicked out. “
One of the owners of the neighboring properties denied the allegation.
Los Angeles-based property owner Steven Bohbot said he intends to keep the Hongs as tenants and incorporate Irv’s into the property’s redevelopment plan.
“Our whole concept is assimilating Irv’s old school with this new design, we’re even doing improvements to Irv’s,” Bohbot said.
“I don’t know why she’s so worried … I definitely would not want them to leave,” he added.
The mayor wrote a letter in December to Bohbot, praising the Hongs and urging the preservation of Irv’s.
Irv’s faced a threat before in 2004, when a property owner wanted to raze the stand so he could put in a coffee shop. But customers — including a few Hollywood celebrities — and preservationists banded together to give it historic landmark status and protection.
Here’s a video about Irv’s from 2011:
Irv’s originally was a Queen’s Burgers stand back in 1950. It’s at 8289 Santa Monica Blvd. (Route 66).
Sonia Hong and her family, who hail from Korea, have owned Irv’s since 2000. They’re yet another example of immigrants who’ve preserved all-American properties on the Mother Road.
(Photo of Irv’s Burgers by waltarrrr via Flickr; hat tip to Scott Piotrowski)
I was just one of many that helped Sonia, her family, and the community to preserve Irv’s back in 2003 / 2004. Despite not eating a lot in the way of red meat, I have found my way here to eat on several occasions. The Hong family and especially Sonia are incredibly wonderful people, and their veggie burger is darn tasty as well! I’m hoping that the family will, indeed, be able to continue the operation that is not only a long-standing WeHo landmark, but a great example of the dying breed of walk-up burger stand.