While many may blow by the small town of Bakersfield en route to Los Angeles, it is well worth the stop for a variety of reasons, but perhaps its star attraction is that it is home to the last operating Woolworth’s lunch counter.

Woolworth’s first opened in Bakersfield in 1911, but by the 1930s they were looking to open a more modern store. A Streamline Modern storefront with luncheonette was designed in the late 1930s, but construction was put on hold as a result of World War II. When it finally opened in 1950, shoppers could explore a massive store and dine at a 74 foot long lunch counter. The arrival of big box stores marked the end of the Woolworth’s era, and this location closed it doors in 1994, just a few years before the final Woolworth’s closed in 1997.

While that could have been the end, it got a second lease on life when it became an antique mall, maintaining the shop and diner vibe. For almost 30 years vintage lovers could find treasures and step back in time with a burger and Coke at the lunch counter. We stopped by during the antique mall era, and you can see the changes from then to now here. But by 2021 the owners were looking to retire. Enter financial company Moneywise, poised to make the location their new office space. Thankfully they recognized the value in the lunch counter, both historically and to the community, and spent the next few years renovating the space, unearthing original terrazzo floors.

In October of 2025 the lunch counter reopened to great fanfare complete with a block party. One of the employees told us that 14,000 people turned out for the grand reopening. Previously the first floor was entirely open, with the lunch counter occupying the left side of the space, and antique booths sprawling across the rest of it. Today visitors see an L-shape space, with the original lunch counter to the left, a sleek bar on the right, with dining tables in between, and a small coffee shop with Woolworth’s timeline and vintage menus on display to the far right, anchoring the corner entrance.

Once America was full of various five-and-dime type stores, but the reason Woolworth’s remains in the collective conscience of America is because of four college students, Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond. The quartette sat at the segregated Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth’s lunch counter on February 1, 1960 asking to be served. The sit-in garnered national attention, and solidified Woolworth’s connection to the Civil Rights Movement. To honor this legacy, the owners installed a 23 foot by seven foot mural by Rico Gatson, showcasing the brave people at a Woolworth’s.

Today portions of the southern Woolworth’s luncheonettes can be found at the International Civil Rights Center & Museum (we visited in 2025, and you can see photos here), the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and the National Museum of African American History & Culture. But the Bakersfield location is the only one operating still as a restaurant.

Patrick and I arrived shortly after opening at 11 am, and by the time we left, bellies full, the line stretched nearly to the door, showcasing how beloved this place is to the Bakersfield community. The historical significance of this being the last luncheonette has landed it not just on local historic registries, but the National Register of Historic Places as well, solidifying its future as a place of good food and history.

Grab lunch at the last Woolworth’s luncheonette at 1400 19th Street in Bakersfield. You can learn more by visiting their website, and following them on Instagram.

What’s Nearby?

Andre’s Burgers

Kern County Museum

Sources
Information on site.
Mayer, Steven. “Woolworth’s soft opening of its luncheonette a hit.” Bakersfield.com, 16 October 2025.
“Woolworth’s Diner set to reopen on Saturday with block party on 19th Street.” Bakersfield Now, 24 October 2025.