OPEN: 1949–1980
LOCATION: 7101 Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90046
ORIGINAL PHONE: HO 9-3135
CUISINE: Diner
DESIGN: Douglas Honnold
BUILDING STYLE: Googie
CURRENTLY: El Pollo Loco
Tiny Naylor’s on Sunset Boulevard, 1965.
SUNSET BOULEVARD HAS SEEN ITS SHARE OF DRIVE-INS OVER THE YEARS, BEGINNING WITH CARPENTER DRIVE-IN, THE VERY FIRST ONE ON THE STRIP IN THE 1930S. Tiny Naylor’s soon followed and became one of the most popular drive-ins during the Golden Age of Hollywood, as well as one of the few twenty-four-hour establishments in the area. The eatery was owned by W. W. “Tiny” Naylor, whose six-foot-four, 300-pound frame earned him his ironic nickname.
Movie stars, who loved being able to sit in their cars and go virtually unnoticed by the other patrons, flocked to the Googie-style Tiny Naylor’s. On weekday afternoons, the drive-in was packed with students from Hollywood High, which was across the street.
Besides burgers and shakes, the menu at Tiny Naylor’s also included corn on the cob, ribs, steak, and baked potatoes—all of which were unheard of for a drive-in. Everything served at the restaurant was made from fresh ingredients, never frozen.
On August 17, 1977, when the UPI wire service reported that Elvis Presley had just died at Baptist Hospital in Memphis, it was 2:30 in the afternoon and Tiny’s was mobbed with people mourning the passing of the King. The carhops and waitresses had a difficult time working during that painful afternoon.
In 1980, Tiny Naylor’s closed down, and everything from the tables and chairs to the speakers from the drive-in was auctioned off. Despite the restaurant’s demise, the Naylor family continues to thrive in the restaurant business. Tiny’s son, Biff, opened the Du-Par’s chain, which is still in operation today, with five locations in two states. One of the last Hamburger Hamlets (see page 185) was recently converted into a Du-Par’s, and Jennifer Naylor (Tiny’s granddaughter) is currently a consultant there. 
Inside Tiny Naylor’s, circa 1967.