Assignment #6: Food and Nostalgia

Johnny Rockets Brings the 1950s to Life

I always loved 1950s decor since I can remember. There is something artistic about the cars (especially the red and white 1957 Chevy Bel Air) that is missing from any car I have ever seen in my lifetime. The dresses and the shoes from that era are also eye-catching, and these styles are currently the most popular retro clothing sold today. But it isn't just the styles or the cars that have always caught my attention. It is also the old Coca-Cola advertisements, the jukeboxes, and the music itself. From doo-wop to rockabilly, to Chuck Berry, Chubby Checker, and Little Richard, the 1950s always represented simple Americana nostalgia to me.

When I was a kid, my family always went to a neighborhood Italian restaurant called Esposito's. It was a casual family place, but what always sticks out in my mind is my memory of the mini jukeboxes at every booth in the restaurant. The first time I ever saw mini jukeboxes at restaurant booths since my childhood was at Johnny Rockets. Suddenly my memory of Esposito's, their mini jukeboxes, and my love for 1950s Coca-Cola ads merged into one!! It was (and still is) one of the most exciting visual experiences of my life, and I could sit there all day taking in the atmosphere if I had my way.

When the waitperson arrives to take your order, he or she gives you a nickel for the jukebox which is supposed to include 1950s songs, but the Johnny Rockets by my house includes songs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. This removes the nostalgia of the 1950s for me, so I try to ignore the songs like "Oh, What A Night" that are out of place. I can understand early 60s songs like "Please Mr. Postman" by the Marvelettes, "Runaway" by Dion and the Belmonts, or "Johnny Angel" by Shelly Fabares, but anything post-British invasion is really pushing it. Most 1950s diners cross the line when it comes to the music, and the people working in the restaurant have no idea that it destroys the very nostalgia the restaurant is attempting to create.

Even if the musical ambience needs fine-tuning, at least the decor accurately replicates the era. Johnny Rockets is decorated with white tables with red chairs (or booths with the same motif), black and white checkered floors, and an old-fashioned counter with seats for customers. Just like in some of the old movies from the 1950s and 1960s where people sat at the counter at a diner, Johnny Rockets brings those movie scenes to life. In addition, the food servers and wait staff dress like old time soda jerks.

I drool at their Coca-Cola decor because my entire kitchen collection (which is currently in my storage space because I don't have my own place at this time) is 1950s Coca-Cola motif. There is an entire following of collectors from all over the country who decorate the kitchens in their homes like a 1950s diner centered around Coca-Cola merchandise like tables, (some even have diner-style booths), napkin holders, straw holders, dinnerware, silverware, containers, cookie jars, glassware, mugs, wall decorations, mini collector's mugs, figurines, etc. The possibilities are endless! I am one of those collectors, and Johnny Rockets brings my future kitchen into reality for me with some of their Coca-Cola signs that make me envious!!

The atmosphere, the decor, and the music are my favorite aspects of Johnny Rockets. The food is secondary. Basically, their main staples are standard diner fare like burgers, fries, Cokes, and shakes. Their burgers are mediocre, their grilled cheese, blt sandwiches, chili, hot dogs, tuna salad, chicken salad, and onion rings are very basic, but their fries, cheese fries, and shakes are phenomenal.

In addition to the standard diner fare, Johnny Rockets also caters to a modern day crowd with options such as Boca Burgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, sliders, entree salads, Oreo shakes, and Butterfinger shakes. Instead of a burger and fries, I usually order the chicken club salad. You get to choose between grilled or breaded chicken, and the salad includes bacon, tomato, cheddar cheese, two types of lettuce, and choice of dressing. I don't order any type of creamy dressing like the one in the picture below, however. I only order viniagrette-based dressings.

According to my parents, the 1950s represented simpler times in American culture, stemming around basic family values, sock hops, the phenomenon of a new musical culture, drive-in movies, and colorful cars. But the 1950s was abundant with poverty. Back then, most people could not afford going out to the malt shop every day, so going out for a shake or a malt was a special treat reserved for date nights or family celebrations.

Johnny Rockets simulates the look of the malt shop shake that soda jerks would build from hand-dipped scoops of ice cream (not softserve like McDonald's or Portillo's), then served in a bell-shaped glass which was placed in a little metal holder with a handle. The portion of the shake that didn't fit into the glass would be served right out of the metal cup from where it was mixed. Johnny Rockets preserves these memories for people who were around during that era, as well as creating nostalgic memories for people like me who have only seen pictures and/or movies from that era. Most of the time I go there, I go to sit with a friend and have a chocolate milkshake. It's a simple pleasure in life that creates the image of 1950s simplicity my parents described to me. As much as I love Butterfinger shakes, I would sooner go to Steak-n-Shake for that. A Butterfinger shake at Johnny Rockets would defeat my purpose of experiencing the nostalgia of an era from before my time.