Good-bye to an Old Friend
Twenty five years ago at the corner of Honolulu Avenue and Verdugo, a restaurant opened that would touch the lives of many people. I am grateful to say that I am one of them.

I started working at the Rocky Cola Café 24 years ago when servers were still called waitresses! We wore short denim skirts, black polos, red socks, red aprons and red visors in this rock ’n roll red diner! It was busy, loud and full of music from our record-filled jukebox.

A few things have changed since then. Our local nearby cities have grown and expanded with restaurants, entertainment, outdoor malls and special events. Honolulu Avenue has become a little “Mayberry” with a small-town, hometown feeling. Now it is our local customers, our community, our friends who fill our booths. I know many of you by name and I feel blessed to be a part of this little piece of Honolulu Avenue history.

There is a saying … “The only thing constant is change.” It took 25 wonderful years, but change is coming to the corner of Honolulu Avenue.

Due to a slow economy and ever-rising costs, it is with a heavy, memory-filled heart that I must tell you that the Rocky Cola Café will close its doors on Dec. 30, 2012.

I have so many stories that I could write a book – in fact, I probably will! I remember when the Crescenta Valley High School football team’s initiation was running through the Rocky Cola Café in their underwear, then 10 or so freshmen would stand in front of our windows on the Montrose Avenue side and “moon” all the customers sitting in station 2! And everyone laughed and clapped and got a big kick out of it!

One of the stories that I will never forget is the day a young woman came up to me with tears in her eyes and told me that her father’s favorite place to have breakfast was at the Rocky Cola Café. She thanked me and the Rocky Cola crew for making the last year of her father’s life a happy one, as he would look forward every week to getting on the bus, by himself, to see us and have breakfast. Thank you, dear gentleman.

Wally Curry and I, Lucy DiMino, along with the entire Rocky Cola crew would like to thank all of our loyal customers over these past 25 years. We have enjoyed being part of this wonderful community and we have grown to know many of you as not only customers, but friends. Thank you for being part of our Rocky Cola family.

Please come in, eat with us, and share some stories of your own.  After all, that’s what families do … we get together, talk, eat, and wish each other well toward new beginnings…

Lucy DiMino
Rocky Cola Café

What would you like for Christmas?
What would you like for Christmas? When that question was asked of me recently, for a moment I was stunned. I have a suit of clothes, a few pairs of shoes and plenty of shirts, ties and socks. I don’t need any material things – but still the question persisted. What would I like for Christmas?

Then these thoughts came to my mind:

I would like for all the wars to be ended and for all the soldiers to come home. I would like to see peace in all the universe. I would like to see the whole world intent not on self-destruction, but on God’s instruction.

I would like to see all the people in our community and in all our country living, as well as pledging, allegiance to our flag and to our Constitution – and living their lives as responsible citizens. I would like to see all our people demonstrate complete loyalty to the people they serve and with whom they work.

I believe that working together we can solve the many problems that confront us in our country today.

Finally, I would like to extend to all of you and your families my warmest feelings of brotherhood as we celebrate the holidays. I believe that the spirit of this season will never die as long as mankind’s need of God stays alive … and that must ever be.

Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Vito Cannella
Montrose