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In a town famed for its connection to the traditions of the motorcycle world, the two burnout rings scarring the floor at Johnny’s Bar and Grill, a magnet for riders for around 80 years, are about as Hollister as it gets. The first was the result of a spontaneous challenge issued to owner Peter Lago five years ago, appropriately enough on Independence Day.
It was at the height of pandemic restrictions, and while Lago, who purchased the bar in 2018, was allowed to serve beer to his customers, they had to drink it in his ad hoc patio. A friend of his bet him that he would not do a burnout in the bar; Lago could not resist.
“I brought the bike in,” he said. “‘Ladies and gentlemen, the bar is closed,’ I said. ‘Your bill is paid. If anyone wants to stay and see a burnout, you’re staying as my friends, not my customers.’ Everybody agreed.”
Johnny’s is so packed with memorabilia that a casual visitor might not even notice the circles. It is much harder to miss the wall running the length of the bar, which offers a narrative history of the events surrounding 1947 Gypsy Tour rally at Bolado Park—a source of fame and over-blown infamy for the city and the inspiration for the Marlon Brando film, “The Wild One.”
“All these guys back from the army rode into town and wanted to participate,” Lago said. “They didn’t have the right tires. They didn’t have the right helmets. They didn’t have the right whatever. They were kicked out unceremoniously.”
They flocked to Johnny’s, then known as The New Deal. At first, according to Lago, the city’s police chief and the county sheriff were agreeable, and the bikers began performing stunts on the street. San Benito Street was part of Highway 25 at the time, and the Highway Patrol ordered them to disperse. This, Lago said, caused “the whole biker riot thing.”
“They were army veterans,” Lago said. “They were not breaking into homes or setting things on fire. One guy broke his collarbone, and when he let go of the bike, it went through a store window. And that was like the last straw.”
According to an article in the Hollister Advance (7/11/1947), the crowd was dispersed by over 30 patrolmen armed with tear gas and 35 arrests were made. The press was quick to sensationalize the incident, and it received national coverage, most notoriously with a posed photograph by Barney Peterson in the July 21, 1947, issue of Life Magazine of a man sitting on a bike surrounded by broken bottles. It was captioned “Cyclist’s Holiday: He and his friends terrorize a town.”
“The guy sitting on the motorcycle is Eddie Davenport,” Lago said. “He did not own a motorcycle. He was a bus driver. It was taken after everyone had left. You can see how the bottles were set up. ”
The negative image created by the press was fodder for a Hollywood boom in motorcycle exploitation films, most notably “The Wild One.” Lago said the main character, Marlon Brando’s “Johnny Strabler,” was named, in part, for the owner of The New Deal, Johnny Matulich, who by that time had rechristened the bar for himself.
Another character, Lee Marvin’s Chino, was modeled after William “Wino Willie” Forkner, who, with his Boozefighters Club, was involved in the Hollister incident. Forkner briefly consulted on the film before becoming disillusioned with the way bikers were being portrayed.
A large cut-out of Brando looms near the front entrance to the bar and there is a wall of photographs of the iconic actor. But Brando was only playing a role; Forkner lived it. He also is commemorated with a wall of photographs donated by his family and friends.
“He was a huge proponent of the old school,” Lago said. “You know, be a good guy but don’t let anybody tell you what to do. This is Mecca for motorcycles as far as I’m concerned, this is the prayer wall.”
But he is there in more than spirit: an urn containing part of his ashes is mounted in a glass case by the front door and a monument to him in the patio, built and dedicated by the members of the Monterey Viejo Chapter of E. Clampus Vitus, contains more of his ashes and his favorite t-shirt.
And that second burnout ring on the floor of Johnny’s? It was done a week after the first one in honor of Forkner’s 100th birthday.
“His grandson came into the bar,” Lago said. “He told me he had the last bike built for Wino. He’s seen the other burnout and said he’d be honored if I would do a burnout on his grandfather’s bike. I couldn’t say no.”
Since then, Lago has given the Hollister imprimatur to bars around the country, doing burnouts in Colorado, Oklahoma, South Dakota and beyond to demarcate them as “biker friendly.” Lago said it has become a tradition and has garnered an Instagram following for his travels, all of which encourages people to come to Hollister and partake in its history and scenic beauty.
“I’m custodian of this little piece of history,” Lago said, “and I’ve been doing my best to try and keep that history alive. But we’re really trying to make it all about the ride and all the open spaces, to just get on your bike and enjoy the county.”
This year’s Hollister Independence Rally is set to return for the first time since 2017 and the two-day event is scheduled for July 4-5.
Cut-out of Marlon Brando at Johnny’s entrance. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Peter Lago and Johnny’s Bar and Grill. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Images from Life Magazine shoot of the rally. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Wino Willie’s ashes. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Johnny’s trademark horseshoes. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Jenn McBain. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Peter Lago and seats made by Mike Corbin. Photo by Robert Eliason.
The menu at Johnny’s
Johnny’s, of course, is more than a living museum of biker culture and history. Besides what you would expect from a bar—beer, wine and cocktails, including Lago’s take on an Irish Mule and a “Big Ass Bloody Mary”—Johnny’s offers a succinct gastropub menu based around locally sourced ingredients.
“I figured if I’m going to make a burger,” Lago said, “I’m going to try to make one you can’t make at home. So, our buns come from Heavenly Bakery, our beef from BR Beef and all of our produce from Watsonville. And that pretty much covers everything.”
The burgers are a “ridiculous” half of a pound and, rather than create named variations on the menu, Lago keeps it simple by having a “build-your-own-option” with items like cheese, bacon, shaved ham, Sriracha Bleu Cheese Aioli, sautéed mushrooms and house-made barbecue sauce.
Extra patties can also be added—Lago said a few customers have ordered triple burgers, a seemingly inconceivable amount of food to finish, and double orders of fries can be had under the “My Girlfriend Isn’t Hungry” option.
The buns are branded with one of the bar’s signature trademarks: A horseshoe on top of crossed crescent wrenches with a spark plug. Lago makes a physical version of this, which he awards to any riders who have traveled 1,000 miles or more to reach the bar.
The order comes with fries or onion rings and can be upgraded to spicy Cajun fries, which are an absolute must-try, as well as garlic fries, and the option to double the amount of fries. An “Affirmation”—“You’re doing great, hang in there”— is also listed on the menu at no charge.
Johnny’s also offers two 10 oz. steak sandwiches, a sourdough club, and a grilled cheese sandwich with turkey, honey ham and bacon. Two salads are also available, a green salad with chicken strips and a classic Caesar.
“We serve great food,” Lago said. “All the ingredients are pure. They are right to the point and they’re high quality. The idea is to give you a reason to come here and have a very filling burger.”
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