The Formosa Cafe in West Hollywood, California

There are many locations with old Hollywood stories and charm. One of the best is the Formosa Cafe in West Hollywood. With its longevity, unique layout, and the stars that used to frequent it, this is one of the coolest places to visit. There's also a bit of a mystery about where it really came from because there are different stories about its origin.

Not only is its construction unique, the ghosts who are said to inhabit it are too. From Hollywood stars to gangsters, the Formosa Cafe has a wide range of supernatural to go along with the murky origin stories.

History

Here's where stories differ. While the official story is that the cafe opened in 1939, there is some speculation that it actually dates back to 1915. That story goes that it has roots as a diner that far back when the Jesse Hampton Studio was built. Another account of a bartender who worked there for 48 years says that the earliest documentation puts it as opening in the 1920s.

At that time, it was the Red Post Cafe, a tiny eatery owned by Joe Levey, who also owned a chain of local steakhouses. The cafe was small and served breakfast and lunch in the little space. This cafe was in operation until the end of the 1930s. It was at this time that nightclub entrepreneur Maximilian Goldstein, aka Max Goldie, bought the land and rebuilt the cafe.

The Red Car Addition

The thing that makes this cafe genuinely unique is the Pacific Electric Red Car to the building. This red trolley car dates back to 1904. Not only that, it is the oldest one still in existence. After this expansion, it was called The Formosa Night Club. There are two separate accounts of what happened next.



In the first, Goldie lost the cafe to lightweight fighter Jimmy Bernstein when he lost a poker match. In another story, the Formosa actually had three owners: Goldie, Stan Marcus, and Bobby Goodman, when the cafe adopted the new name and construction. Goldie was found shot in the back in 1945 in a phone booth.

Then a different Jimmy Bernstein, this time a bookie who was confused with the boxer, bought into the business in 1947. He brought in chef Lem Quon, who later became his business partner. Unfortunately, Quon passed in 1993.

Recent History and Restoration

Whatever the real story is, the cafe took off and became a popular hangout for not just stars of the day but also mobsters. Its popularity did a lot for its reputation, but despite this, it was almost torn down and made into a parking lot in the early 1990s.



There was even a protest over it being torn down. People came out in an attempt to keep the historic site that once hosted the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Ronald Reagan, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Lana Turner. John Wayne is also noted as a frequent customer who would fall asleep after having one too many. He would make himself breakfast there the next morning.

The history of the place touched people and made them want to keep the spirit alive by keeping the building. It wasn't turned into a parking lot, but the place was remodeled, much to everyone's chagrin. Gone was the nostalgic black and red interior, which was instead replaced with gray walls and a terrible mural. Since the remodel was such a failure with the public, the owners decided to restore the interior to how it was.



They even brought back the signed black and white pictures that decorated the walls, along with the original memorabilia. Stepping inside the Formosa Cafe is like stepping back in time. You may expect Ava Gardner to come waltzing in, and who knows, maybe she does from time to time.

Gangster Patron

In addition to the movie stars above, there was also a notorious guest who was said to frequent the cafe, gangster 'Bugsy' Siegel, who was running his business in the 1930s, allegedly from the office. There were five phone lines that he would use. He even had a personal locked safe that is still there, but when it was opened, it was empty. Siegel must have cleared out whatever things he'd kept in there.



He died in 1947 due to gunshot wounds when someone shot him through the window of his home. The case was never solved. He allegedly still hangs out at the place where he did so much business.

Ghost Sightings

While there are rumors that you'll encounter Siegel's ghost, there are plenty of other ghost stories to choose from. The other most famous ghost is suspected to be that of the old owner Lem Quon, who reprimands employees in much the same way he did when he was alive.

They have reported him sitting in his favorite booth, which was number 8, in case you want to check it out the next time you go in. Supposedly, he pinches employees who are slacking off and need to get busy, which he did in real life. There have also been reports of a man sitting in a booth, but you can only see him through his reflection in the bar's large mirror.



Noises and shadow people have also been reported along with a particular song. According to one of the bartenders, someone plays Sinatra's rendition of "New York, New York" on repeat late at night. Whether it's Sinatra himself, or someone missing him, we will never know. At least they have good musical taste.

Despite the unconfirmed origins, the Formosa Cafe will transport you back to a more glamorous time and may even give you some paranormal experiences. You never know whether you'll bump into the spirit of a gangster or a starlet, of a western star or a crooner, or of a rock 'n roll icon or a past president. Be sure to check out our Hollywood Ghost Walk for more fun tales of glamorous stars and paranormal activities.

Experience the hauntings firsthand by booking ourHollywood Boulevard Ghost Tour now and walk in the footsteps of Hollywood’s most legendary spirits.

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