Shannon King’s first experience with the Los Angeles Breakfast Club was a presentation by Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr. Unlike most educational presentations, however, this one took place at the crack of dawn. Nevertheless, “I knew by the end of that first breakfast that I wanted to become a member,” she says.
Nestled at the base of Griffith Park sits the Friendship Auditorium, home to the Los Angeles Breakfast Club. Every Wednesday, beginning at 6:45 in the morning, attendees are met by the greeter of the week with a cheery cry of “Hello Ham!” followed by breakfast and a guest lecture. Part meal at Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, part community meeting directed by David Lynch, the Los Angeles Breakfast Club is full of friendship, quirkiness, and of course, eggs.
The Los Angeles Breakfast Club began in 1925 as a way for businessmen who loved horses (which explains a lot of the equestrian imagery you see at the LABC today) to meet and network. In the morning they would ride their horses, then stop for breakfast together. The kitsch came naturally, as the group decided it would be a parody of more serious groups like the Masons.
In the early years, the LABC members, calling themselves the “Ham and Eggers,” solidified their traditions and iconography. There’s Ham the Horse, a sawhorse for blindfolded inductees to sit on, their hand on a plate of runny eggs, when they’re sworn in as members, a secret handshake, and arcane symbols covering the placemats. In the beginning, the LABC only permitted men to join, and membership cost a whopping $500. However, Warner Brothers broadcasted the meetings over the radio so that all Angelenos could have access to the Club’s enriching programming.
These days, a typical meeting starts with a melting pot of attendees making plates at the breakfast buffet (vegetarian options included) followed by a seated meal with warm conversation. Then, the Club shifts into gear with its program. There’s singing, live piano, calisthenics to get the blood pumping, chanting the mysterious letters of the Club’s cryptogram, and a receiving line in which attendees do the secret handshake with board members and that week’s special guest. The main event, the guest lecture, pulls from a rotating roster of luminaries that in the past has included artists, journalists, Imagineers, comedians, biologists, historians, puppeteers, environmentalists, and authors.
But not everything is always so sunny-side-up. When they first moved into the Friendship Auditorium in the 1960s, the LABC negotiated with the city to pay just $1 in yearly rent for the next 50 years. However, this deal ended in 2015. At the moment, LABC leadership fears being priced out and losing all of the custom charm that comes with the building. Without a permanent deal currently, one of the LABC’s priorities is to strike a sustainable agreement with the city to keep their home.
Plus, just a few years ago, the LABC had dropped to only 31 members. As a non-profit, membership was the primary source of income. Yet looking for new people to add to the mix was a challenge. How do you draw people to a not-so-secret society that meets well before many people have gotten out of bed?
Lily Holleman became president in 2014, and as one of the youngest members, she decided to use social media to spread the word about the events. Their posts depicted the Club as a room of wonders, with individually themed tables, live music, and a smile on every face. Slowly but steadily, the LABC began to build their membership back up, eventually reaching 98 members in 2019.
Then, the pandemic hit. Like everyone else, the LABC shifted to online meetings in an effort to maintain connection. In 2021, they re-opened their doors and were met with people hungry for breakfast and in-person revelry. The first big meeting, in 2022, was Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Day. Over 100 people attended to listen to the “Hotdoggers,” the drivers who pilot the 27-foot hot dog-shaped car. Since then, membership has grown to roughly 180 members, and the weekly breakfast head count ranges from 100 to over 200 people. (The general public can also buy tickets to attend.)
Brianne Richard often hears first-timers say “I’ve found my people.” “I think what they mean by that is the Los Angeles Breakfast Club is a place where you can’t help but feel like you belong almost immediately,” she says. She herself became a member in 2022 and quickly got involved, holding the position of board secretary since 2023.
Member Shannon King concurs. “It’s a come-as-you-are club where the outside world is left at the door, and you become just a Ham or just an Egg among friends.” And, she adds, this pool of friends just keeps growing. “Part of our charm is our intimacy, and we need to ensure we maintain that as we grow into the bigger club we are becoming.”
Carrying on century-old traditions is a point of interest for attendees. But for Mickey Corcoran, current president and member since 2015, the group is much more than just a quirky weekly gathering. “Our club offers something truly extraordinary,” he says. To him, the LABC is “a multi-generational community where everyone, from teens to those in their 90s, feels valued, seen, and deeply connected.” Silly traditions, interesting speakers, and breakfast are all important components of an LABC meeting. But for generations of Angelenos, friendship remains the main motivation for their weekly treks to Griffith Park.
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