Bono's Restaurant and Deli
Why it's listed
Bono's Restaurant and Deli sits on Foothill Boulevard, a stretch of the original Route 66 east of Fontana, California. The Bono family opened it in 1936 as a small roadside market selling juice, olives, wine and local goods, in a stucco and light green tile building with arched wooden trellis doors. In 1943 the family expanded it to the south and west, turning it into a full-service Italian restaurant and deli. They glazed the arched openings and added painted red and green stripes, large signs and decorative grapevines to catch passing drivers. The nomination ties the expansion to heavy wartime traffic on Route 66 and to Italian steelworkers arriving for the Kaiser Steel mill, who made Bono's a social hub. The building keeps its original tile, stucco, signs and grapevines. It was listed for its local significance as a Route 66 roadside business, with a period of significance from 1943 to 1956.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an important Route 66 commercial property that keeps a high degree of historic integrity from its 1943 to 1956 period. It served Route 66 travelers, wartime migrants and Fontana's growing Italian immigrant community, and it is one of the few remaining roadside markets of its kind along that stretch.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 07001353, listed January 10, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 15395 Foothill Blvd., Fontana |
|---|---|
| County | San Bernardino County |
| Listed | January 10, 2008 |
| Reference number | 07001353 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1943 to 1956 |
| Architect / builder | Built by the Bono family |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement/Moderne (described as streamline moderne) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still operating as a restaurant and specialty store; the 1970s plywood paneling was removed in 2006 to reveal the original tile and stucco. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 34.10643, -117.46893 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 07001353.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16844402
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.