Beverly Hills in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Brighton Coffee Shop

Beverly Hills

— Golden Shield Commemorative Plaque —

Brighton Coffee Shop Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, November 22, 2025

1. Brighton Coffee Shop Marker

Inscription.
A café run by Mrs. Lily Cooper operated out of the drive-in market that once occupied this site from 1928 to 1936. In 1937, the café moved to its corner location at 9600 Brighton Way. The name was changed to Brighton Coffee Shop in 1968 and it has been visited by generations of Beverly Hills residents and Hollywood stars.

Erected by City of Beverly Hills. (Marker Number 20.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.

Location. 34° 4.105′ N, 118° 24.239′ W. Marker is in Beverly Hills, California, in Los Angeles County. It can be reached from the intersection of Camden Drive and Brighton Way. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9600 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills CA 90210, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles

and in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically,

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it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Luau (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Anderton Court (about 600 feet away); Romanoff’s/The Daisy (about 600 feet away); Beverly Hills Speedway (about 600 feet away); Uncle Bernie’s Toy Menagerie (about 700 feet away); Hans Ohrt Lightweight Bicycles (about 700 feet away); Giorgio Beverly Hills (about 800 feet away); Carroll and Company (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Beverly Hills.

Regarding Brighton Coffee Shop. As early as 1928, a café has operated from the buildings located at the southwest corner of Camden Drive and Brighton Way. In the summer of 1928, an “L” shaped drive-in market (shopping center) with a standalone octagonal shop in the parking lot was built. The buildings were designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by the notable architectural firm of Gable & Wyant for then owner Harlan S. Kittle (1872-1962), a real estate investor and local resident. Collectively, the one-story, stucco sheathed

Photographed by Craig Baker, November 22, 2025

2. Brighton Coffee Shop Marker

The marker lays flat in the sidewalk.

buildings contained a market, café, barbershop, shoe repair shop, flower shop, and wood carver studio. The florist and shoe repair business shared space in the uniquely shaped detached structure at the corner. The café was located at 912 Brighton Way and was run by Mrs. Lily Cooper of Los Angeles (it operated without a formal name, which was common at that time).

By the early 1930s, Mr. William T. Bishop became the property owner and made major modifications to the site. This new work modified the look and function of the existing drive-in shopping center by constructing six additional shop spaces within the infill of the paved parking lot in 1936. This new infill of building space enlarged the entire structure into a rectangular shape and shifted and increased some of the address numbering. The property now included three new shops along Brighton Way and three along North Camden Drive. It was at this time that the café moved into the corner space that was previously occupied by the florist and shoe repair shop (now addressed as 9600 Brighton Way). The existing arched shaped windows and associated stuccoed side walls, as well as

Brighton Coffee Shop image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker

3. Brighton Coffee Shop

the angled entry door at the northeast were retained and integrated (those features remain today).

In 1968, new owners Mr. and Mrs. William W. Huss named it the Brighton Coffee Shop. It has remained the Brighton Coffee Shop since that time and is one of the oldest operating businesses of that type in the community. The well-established eating place has been visited by generations of Beverly Hills residents and Hollywood stars. Local celebrity Doris Day is said to have loved the banana pancakes. The menu has been expanded and updated over the years, but traditional American breakfast fare and lunch options are still the most popular choices on the menu. The interior maintains its quaint diner charm with many nostalgic photographs from the restaurants early years.

Original proposed plaque text:
“A café run by Mrs. Lily Cooper operated out of the drive-in market that once occupied this site from 1928 to 1936. In 1937, the café relocated to the corner tenant space on the same site, at 9600 Brighton Way. The coffee shop, named Brighton Coffee Shop in 1968, had been visited by generations of Beverly Hills residents and Hollywood stars.”

courtesy BeverlyHills.org

4. Brighton Coffee Shop

courtesy BeverlyHills.org/Beverly Hills Heritage

5. Brighton Coffee Shop

Drive-in shopping center with separate octagonal shop.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 25, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 96 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 25, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.