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

Lawry’s

Beverly Hills

— Golden Shield Commemorative Plaque —

Lawry’s Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 1, 2026

1. Lawry’s Marker

Inscription.
The original Lawry's restaurant was established in 1938 by Lawrence L. "Lawry" Frank and Walter Van de Kamp and was located in a modest one-story building at this site on "Restaurant Row". In 1947, Lawry's restaurant moved from its original location on the east side of La Cienega Boulevard across the street to a more modernistic style building designed by Wayne McAllister. In 1993, the business moved back across the street to a larger building designed by Gin D. Wong.

Erected by City of Beverly Hills. (Marker Number 2.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1938.

Location. 34° 4.087′ N, 118° 22.569′ W. Marker is in Beverly Hills, California, in Los Angeles County. It is on La Cienega Boulevard north of Wilshire Boulevard, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 N La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills CA 90211, 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

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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, 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: Fine Arts - Ahrya Theater (approx. 0.2 miles away); John Wayne Statue (approx. ¼ mile away); Portolá Trail (approx. 0.4 miles away); Juan Bautista de Anza (approx. 0.7 miles away); Daniel O. McCarthy (approx. 0.7 miles away); Jedediah Strong Smith (approx. 0.7 miles away); Carthay Circle (approx. 0.7 miles away); "Snowshoe" Thompson (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Beverly Hills.

Regarding Lawry’s. Information from displays inside the restaurant:
In 1938, Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp co-founded Lawry's The Prime Rib on La Cienega Boulevard, anchoring what would become Beverly Hills' world-famous "Restaurant Row." It originated from Lawrence's dream of creating a restaurant featuring the memorable standing ribs of beef served on

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 1, 2026

2. Lawry’s Marker

The marker lays flat in the sidewalk, at the north end of the restaurant.

Sundays in his boyhood home. The menu featured a single item, prime rib. The restaurant name Lawry’s is a nickname for Lawrence.
Lawrence's instincts told him the restaurant should be elegant but not intimidating and appeal to all, its splendor reflected in the way each part of the dinner was prepared and presented. He designed the famous "silver" carts (hammered out of stainless steel) for carving the beef tableside.
A flair for the theatrical led to his creating the popular Spinning Bowl Salad. Serving a salad before the entrée was unheard of at the time, but now, of course, it's commonplace. Few realize that such familiar features of today's dining experience like valet parking and the "doggie bag" also originated at Lawry's The Prime Rib.
Lawry's Seasoned Salt is the most widely known of Lawrence's innovations. After a full year's work in his home kitchen, he arrived at just the right mix of seasonings to perfectly complement prime rib. It was a hit - ultimately becoming the world's most popular blended seasoning and leading to the transformation of a small family-run company, Lawry's Foods Inc., into a multi-million dollar business.

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 1, 2026

3. Lawry’s

That company was sold in 1979 to Thomas J. Lipton, Inc., a division of Unilever. In 2008, they sold the Lawry's brand to McCormick & Co., which manages it today. Famed graphic designer Saul Bass created the original "Fanciful L" Lawry's logo.
Lawry's Restaurants, Inc. remains a family owned and operated business, now under the steward-ship of the third and fourth generations of Franks and Van de Kamps. The success of Lawry's The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills led to the development of a second Lawry's The Prime Rib in Chicago in 1974, followed by locations in Dallas in 1983 and Las Vegas in 1997. In addition, several licensed Lawry's The Prime Rib restaurants operate internationally.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. - Lawry’s California Center, a showcase of restaurants and shops to promote Lawry’s seasoning products. The Lawry’s center, completed in 1953 and expanded in 1961, opened a dining area in 1970. It closed in 1992 and became an office complex.

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 1, 2026

4. Lawry’s

Historical Displays inside the restaurant image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 1, 2026

5. Historical Displays inside the restaurant

Lawry’s Seasoned Salt image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 1, 2026

6. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

The original Doggie Bag image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, February 1, 2026

7. The original Doggie Bag

The original Lawry’s, at this location image. Click for full size.

Public Domain

8. The original Lawry’s, at this location

Lawry’s 1947-1993, across the street image. Click for full size.

Public Domain

9. Lawry’s 1947-1993, across the street

Credits. This page was last revised on February 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 2, 2026, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 86 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on February 2, 2026, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.