The owners of Roy’s Motel & Cafe in Amboy, California, hope to have the restaurant and it six small cottages reopened by Route 66’s centennial in 2026.
That factoid was part of a feature in The Guardian newspaper in London about Roy’s and the Okura family, who own the complex and the town.
Albert Okura, owner of the Juan Pollo’s restaurant chain in Southern California, purchased Roy’s and the entire town of Amboy in 2005. He worked slowly on restoring the buildings — including reopening the gas station — but he died two years ago at age 71.
Okura’s son Kyle, who shepherded the restoration of Roy’s neon sign and helped create its website, and his mother Sella and her children have taken over running the town.
The cafe and cottages have remained closed for decades. But the article indicates the Okuras want to revive them soon:
In his dad’s absence, Kyle has defined his own vision for Amboy as a more popular filming location (Olivia Rodrigo filmed a music documentary here) and a future music festival venue like a “mini-Coachella”.
In 2026, Route 66 will celebrate its centennial. The Okuras hope to have Amboy’s cafe and motel cottages open by then. To accomplish these goals, mother and son are now collaborating.
Roy’s installed a new septic system in June so it could reopen the public bathrooms and cottages. Renovating the cottages themselves clearly would be next on the to-do list.
In 2023, another article stated the cabins would reopen this year, but that apparently didn’t come to pass.
In recent days, NBC News produced this eight-minute video about Roy’s:
Roy’s in Amboy opened in 1938 through owner Roy Crowl. But the most well-known owner of Roy’s was Buster Burris. By the late 1940s, Roy’s garage, motel and restaurant were open 24 hours daily to serve Route 66 travelers.
The business declined after the opening of Interstate 40, and Burris retired in 1995. Burris died in 2000.
(Image of Roy’s Motel and Cafe in Amboy, California, with its cabins by Thomas Hawk via Flickr)