The Munch Box

Very little has changed about Chatsworth’s “The Munch Box” since it opened in 1956. The original roadside burger stand has been owned and operated by the same family, originating with Buck Barker, kept the same Googie architecture, and nearly the same menu. The menu offers a variety of burgers and hot dogs, plain fries, chili fries, and drinks (including its classic root beer float, originally made with root beer made on the premises).

When surrounding development threatened to shut down the restaurant in the early 2000s, the community wrote 1,700 letters and petitions to the city council, urging that the burger stand should be placed on the list of Cultural-Historical Landmarks. In his motion to preserve the building, councilman Hal Bernson wrote, “The landmark is an integral part of the old Chatsworth community and a direct link with its past. These types of establishments that once abounded virtually no longer exist and are only seen in old photographs or movie clips.” The Los Angeles City Council agreed, and declared The Munch Box #750 on the Historic Register for Los Angeles.