Architects Louis Armet and Eldon Davis are renowned for their perfection of the Googie style, representing the very best of Mid-Century Modern roadside design. Kerry's Coffee Shop (now Mel's) in Sherman Oaks is a great example of their early Googie designs, showing their use of angled rooflines, dramatic signage, and other space-age elements that would become even more angled and dramatic in later work like Norms La Cienega and the Holiday Bowl.

Completed in 1953 and originally occupied by Dyle's Restaurant, owned by Michael Konjoyan, the building soon changed hands to become Kerry's and operated under that name for many years. Its front façade has been altered, with stucco and faux-retro neon signage covering a series of vertical posts that once ran up and past the roofline. But the overall roof shape is intact, and splendidly apparent from the side—it tilts upward toward the street to shelter the dining area, which is exposed by wraparound picture windows. Inside, the building retains its original terrazzo floors and overall layout centered on a large, L-shaped dining counter.

This Armet & Davis classic is one of very few surviving Googie coffee shops in the San Fernando Valley and a great early example of the style.