Biff's Coffee Shop Chevron Gasoline Oakland,CA

            The City of Oakland’s Broadway Autorow (from Grand Avenue south to 42nd St. north and
Harrison Street East to Freeway 980 West) has some of the most historic and beautiful old buildings. One of these is the building at 315 27th St. commonly known as "Biffs or JJ’s". This building is a modern restaurant building. It is high one story, circular plan (38 ft 6 inches), according to original permit), with entry and utility projections, on a gore lot, on the east part of the parcel whose west Broadway frontage was until recently occupied by a 1970’s Chevron station. It has mansard-like mechanical penthouse at the center; an outward sloping scored stucco base, and large plate windows around slightly more than half the exterior. Exterior walls are concrete block and stucco. Roof is composition. Foundation is concrete.  Sanborn maps describe the structure as reinforced concrete block.  The entry is below a metal mansard canopy, alongside a battered buttress of split-face concrete block. Interiors are also notable with zig-zag ceilings, nauganhyde booths, terrazzo floors, geometric wood paneling, and a central "exhibition cooking area."  The building is now vacant and has been for a number of years now. Most recently the building housed JJ’s restaurant.  Prior to JJ ’s the building housed the renowned "Biffs" restaurant.  Supportive elements for the Biffs restaurant included a palm tree and signs (internally illuminated neo-"60s on
original crossed pole supports, replacing animated neon bullseye "Biff’s" sign).  Surroundings are densely built up, commercial near Broadway, residential to the east.  Visible alternations include roof shingled, concrete utility enclosure around the back, and some interior alterations. The building
is considered to be in good condition.  The Biff’s/JJ’s restaurant was vital to the livelihood of the
Broadway Autorow community especially the senior citizens from several senior residential centers located on 28th Street. The Community is doing all it can to encourage the current owners of
the restaurant to restore it to its 1960’s prominence.

This excellent writeup was the work of Charles Brown and was published in the November 2000 issue of the BEAT 8 community newsletter!
   

Taken on: October 6, 2007

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Groups appears in: • SF Bay Area • Googie more » • Service Stations • Googie, Anyone? • Gas Station • East Bay Area Scenes • Oakland and East Bay Architecture • Retro Restaurants • Mid-Century Architecture (Non-Residential) • Vintage Chevron/Standard Oil « less

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