Twohey's

Twohey's is an American diner and restaurant brand based in South Pasadena, California. The business was established in 1943 by Jack and Jean Twohey and began as a 37-seat diner on Arroyo Boulevard in Pasadena. Its identity developed around classic American diner food, informal service, and a strong connection to the San Gabriel Valley community. The restaurant is particularly associated with its Little Stink-O burger, a signature preparation that has become part of the establishment's local identity. In 1951, Twohey's moved to Huntington Drive in Alhambra, where it remained for decades. The Alhambra restaurant became known not only for its menu but also for its period setting and drive-up carhop service. Carhops operated at the location from the 1950s through the mid-1970s, reinforcing Twohey's association with the classic American roadside-diner experience. Over time, the restaurant became a longstanding local institution rather than a conventional multi-unit chain, with its heritage tied to a particular community, building, and style of service. The Alhambra chapter ended after difficulties renewing the restaurant's lease were announced in December 2017. Twohey's vacated the building on April 13, 2019, and the historic structure was subsequently announced for demolition. The business did not disappear, however. It relocated to a new site at 424 Fair Oaks Avenue in South Pasadena and began operating there on October 10, 2020. The new restaurant has seating for 199 guests, allowing the brand to continue while adapting its physical setting for a new phase. Twohey's presents itself as a 1950s-style diner, combining nostalgic design cues with a full-service restaurant format. Its offering centers on familiar American diner fare and associated desserts and drinks, with the Little Stink-O burger serving as a notable signature item. The brand's appeal rests less on national scale than on continuity, recognizability, and local cultural value. Its move from Alhambra to South Pasadena was therefore both an operational change and a transition in the history of a well-known regional restaurant. In 2023, Twohey's marked its 80th anniversary with a five-day celebration. The program included specially created cocktails, including The Nifty Fifty, Rockin' 80s, and The Celebration, as well as 80-cent mini-sundaes offered with the purchase of an entrée. The anniversary also received formal recognition from public officials and institutions, including a Certificate of Congressional Recognition, a California Legislature Assembly Resolution, a Los Angeles County proclamation, and a City of South Pasadena Certificate of Recognition. These honors reflected the restaurant's longevity and its place in the civic and culinary history of the region.

Twohey's was founded in 1943 by Jack and Jean Twohey in Pasadena, California. The original business operated on Arroyo Boulevard as a small 37-seat diner. Its early format established the restaurant's enduring connection with approachable American food and an informal neighborhood setting. In 1951, the restaurant moved to Huntington Drive in Alhambra. That location became the center of Twohey's identity for more than six decades. During the 1950s through the mid-1970s, it offered drive-up carhop service, a feature strongly associated with the classic American diner era. The Alhambra site also helped preserve the restaurant's period character and made Twohey's a recognizable local institution in the San Gabriel Valley. The restaurant's signature menu identity includes the Little Stink-O burger, which is widely associated with the brand. More broadly, Twohey's has operated within the American diner tradition, serving familiar meals, desserts, and beverages while maintaining a nostalgic 1950s-style presentation. Its significance has been primarily regional and cultural rather than based on a large chain footprint. In December 2017, Twohey's announced that the Alhambra restaurant would close because of a problem renewing its lease. The business vacated the building on April 13, 2019. The historic structure was subsequently announced for demolition, ending the restaurant's long physical association with the site. Twohey's relocated to 424 Fair Oaks Avenue in South Pasadena and opened at the new address on October 10, 2020. The new location has seating for 199 people. The move preserved the brand while transferring it from its historic Alhambra setting to a new community and facility. The restaurant celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2023 through a five-day event. Twohey's created special cocktails for the occasion, including The Nifty Fifty, Rockin' 80s, and The Celebration, and offered 80-cent mini-sundaes with the purchase of an entrée. The anniversary was also recognized through a Certificate of Congressional Recognition, a California Legislature Assembly Resolution, a Los Angeles County proclamation, and a City of South Pasadena Certificate of Recognition. These acknowledgements underscored the restaurant's longevity and its continuing role as a regional heritage business.

• 2023

  Eightieth anniversary observed

  [1]Twohey'sen.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant holds a five-day anniversary celebration and receives recognition from public institutions at federal, state, county, and city levels.

• 2020

  South Pasadena location opens

  [1]Twohey'sen.wikipedia.org

  Twohey's opens at 424 Fair Oaks Avenue in South Pasadena on October 10, with 199 seats.

• 2019

  Alhambra site vacated

  [1]Twohey'sen.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant leaves its Alhambra building on April 13; demolition of the historic structure is later announced.

• 2017

  Alhambra closure announced

  [1]Twohey'sen.wikipedia.org

  Twohey's announces that its Alhambra location will close because of an issue renewing the lease.

• 1951

  Restaurant moves to Alhambra

  [1]Twohey'sen.wikipedia.org

  Twohey's relocates to Huntington Drive in Alhambra, where it remains for decades.

• 1950

  Carhop era begins

  [1]Twohey'sen.wikipedia.org

  The Alhambra location develops a drive-up carhop service that operates from the 1950s through the mid-1970s.

• 1943

  Twohey's is founded

  [1]Twohey'sen.wikipedia.org

  Jack and Jean Twohey open a 37-seat diner on Arroyo Boulevard in Pasadena, California.

A heritage American diner emphasizing 1950s-style atmosphere, familiar comfort food, signature burgers, and longstanding local identity.

• Burger

  Little Stink-O burger

  The Little Stink-O burger is Twohey's signature burger and one of the items most closely associated with the restaurant's identity. It represents the brand's classic American diner positioning and longstanding menu heritage.

• Restaurant menu · 1943

  Classic American diner menu

  Twohey's serves familiar American diner-style food in a full-service restaurant setting. The broader offering includes burgers, comfort-food dishes, desserts, sundaes, and beverages, presented within a 1950s-inspired dining environment.

• 202380th Anniversary Celebration

  South Pasadena · San Gabriel Valley

  Twohey's marked its eightieth year with a five-day celebration. The program included special cocktails named The Nifty Fifty, Rockin' 80s, and The Celebration, along with 80-cent mini-sundaes available with the purchase of an entrée.

  Outcome. The anniversary was accompanied by formal recognition from congressional, California legislative, Los Angeles County, and South Pasadena representatives.

  Source

• 2020

  Relocation to South PasadenaStrategy

  Background

  After leaving its historic Alhambra site, Twohey's needed a new operating location while retaining its diner identity.

  Action taken

  The restaurant opened at 424 Fair Oaks Avenue in South Pasadena on October 10, 2020.

  Aftermath

  The relocated restaurant continued the brand under a new physical setting with seating for 199 guests.

  Source

• 2017

  Decision to leave the Alhambra locationStrategy

  Background

  Twohey's faced an issue renewing the lease for its long-established Huntington Drive restaurant.

  Action taken

  The business announced that the Alhambra location would close and subsequently pursued a relocation.

  Aftermath

  The Alhambra building was vacated in 2019, and Twohey's later reopened in South Pasadena in 2020.

  Source

1. 1Twohey'sen.wikipedia.org