The original cafe was opened in 1938 close to the newly designated North Circular Road primarily to provide refreshments for the lorry drivers of the time. By the end of 1939 the site had expanded to include a petrol station, car wash, showroom and vehicle repair facilty. The original building was severely damaged by a German bombing raid on the nearby railway marshalling yards during the Second World War. After trading from a temporary building the cafe moved into its current location in 1949.
The 1950's saw the building becoming a favourite venue for the growing number of motorcylists to meet, have a meal or cup of tea, arrange runs (often to other cafes or the coast), and listen to the new Rock 'n' Roll music on the jukebox.
The combination of motorbikes, speed and Rock ´n´ Roll at the venue resulted in it becoming the launchpad for many famous racers and the birthplace for many bands. The 1963 Sidney Furie film 'The Leather Boys', starring Rita Tushingham, Colin Campbell and Dudley Sutton was filmed at the building and featured many of it's patrons as 'extras'.
The 1960's saw the tabloid press portray it as a place where decent people didn't go. Along with the change in social order, the growth of the car market at the expense of the motorbike industry and the expansion of the motorway network eventually it served its last meal in 1969.