Farewell to a 1970s Burger King; long-hidden Coca-Cola sign from around 1910 saved; a perfect 1960s Arby's you must see to believe; and much more | Rolando's Roadside Roundup
Plus, almost two dozen more headlines from The Retrologist. Let's go for a virtual trip!
We all have “My” restaurants. You know, “My” McDonald’s. “My” Taco Bell. “My” Wendy’s.
You know, a place near you that’s always been there, or so it seems.
You may not eat there very often or at all. You may be so calorie and cholesterol conscious that you wouldn’t be caught dead in one, for fear of ending up, well, dead. “Your” restaurant may simply serve as a handy landmark when giving directions.
But these places are still yours, mine and ours. Part of the landscape of life in the neighborhoods, byways and highways of America.
At some point over the past few days, “My” Burger King in Jackson Heights, Queens, closed. It had been there since at least 1976, the earliest reference I could find in New York newspaper archives, a vintage that is evident from the building’s design. The 1980s photo from the NYC Municipal Archives shows the same building was there, though it once had a rust-colored roof, 40 years ago.
I stopped here from time to time, for the occasional treat after a long day, usually an Impossible Whopper, which made me feel a little better about said indulgence.
My highway exit is right next to this Burger King, and you could always inhale the flame-broiled goodness before hitting the road in search of other vintage places like this BK.
Usually, when a longtime franchise closes, there’s a note in the window saying goodbye, or explaining that a renovation is under way. No such note here. A neighborhood Facebook group has talk of a Chick-fil-A taking roost here.
The Dumpster out back was a sad sight, full of computer monitors, stereo systems and a bag full of the colorful flags that always festooned the exterior, as though it had just opened. The signage seemed to have been carted away.
I was reminded of the role these places play in our lives when a gentleman who rides a motorcycle — I didn’t ask, but I suspected he’s a delivery worker — stopped by as I snapped photos. He was shocked that “His'“ Burger King had closed. This was his spot for coffee. He enjoyed relaxing in the vintage booths, and eavesdropping on the locals talking politics and whatnot while nursing their own coffees.
He asked me where he might be able to get coffee nearby and still find some reliable Wifi in a place where he could just relax a bit. I suggested a Dunkin, but the place was not right for him. How about the old-school “sunroom” Wendy’s across the street, which helps give a time-warp feel to this stretch of Northern Boulevard?
He checked it out and it wasn’t right, either. He did take me up on my suggestion to hit the Taco Bell down the road. Perhaps that will become “His” Taco Bell. He’ll certainly miss “His” Burger King.
Last year, an iconic White Castle closed down the road a bit.
A vintage IHOP kicked the bucket a few years before that. And long before that, this stretch of Northern lost an Arby’s.
These all had vintage buildings, and I loved the interior design of the Burger King.
Goodbye, old friend.
Below is a visit to a similar Burger King, also just closed, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania:
Retrologist Road Trip: Pennsylvania roadside finds (Pizza Hut, Hardee's, Mr. Peanut, 7 Up and much more)
I just got back from a two-day jaunt through Pennsylvania, and that follows a one-day trip I took the previous Sunday, so the Keystone State has clearly been on my mind. A key feature I want to provide my patrons is insights into my travels and recommendations they can act upon to plan their own amazing nostalgia-fueled road trips.
The Find That Refreshes: Long-hidden Coca-Cola sign discovered in Jersey Shore city will be preserved for all to see
One of the biggest headlines from the road this year was the discovery of a massive Coca-Cola sign in Long Branch, New Jersey.
The sign likely dates to about 1910, and was painted onto wood slats on the side of a building. It had been hidden for decades, and nobody knew about it until the structure next door was demolished recently to make way for new housing. There it was, a perfectly preserved sign, protected from the elements in a two-inch gap for longer than most of our lifetimes, advertising Coke for a mere nickel.
I made it down there a few days later, and by that time the sign had been covered up in netting, which I took as a good sign that it would not be destroyed. It indeed was preserved — the developer carefully disassembled the sign and gave it to the city of Long Branch, which put a portion of it on display last week. It will now go into storage and will eventually be on public display. (Watch a report from NBC10 Philadelphia here.)
“Delicious and refreshing,” reads the old sign. “Relieves fatigue,” too, the sign painter wrote as well over 100 years ago.
Forget the nickel Coke. This good news is delicious, refreshing and relieves fatigue all by itself.
The Arby’s in Huntington Beach, California, is a thing of beauty and you must make a pilgrimage!
I briefly visited the Arby’s in Huntington Beach on a rainy morning in October 2021. I didn’t quite get the photos I wanted, and the store, which was not yet open, had a rare steer design on the tile floor, which I was not able to photograph.
Sigh.
So I was delighted to see these lovely photos materialize in my Instagram inbox, thanks to Murray Williams, and he gave me the all-clear to share them with you.
This location is a rare sight indeed — a 10-gallon hat beside an original chuckwagon building. This was the default Arby’s look from the chain’s foundation in 1964 to the mid-1970s. And here we still have it today! [MAP]
RELATED: More Arby’s news on The Retrologist.
Rare McDonald’s sign spotted in Huntington Beach, California
We stay in Huntington Beach to visit another roadside gem that turned up in my Instagram inbox.
Kelly Bonbright sent along a photo of this sign at a McDonald’s in Huntington Beach. The building has been updated, but the old sign, itself touched up a bit, remains. [MAP]
If you’ve never seen this style, you’re not alone. It was fairly rare even in its day, a transitional style used around 1970, at the dawn of the mansard era.
Here is how it looked in 2011, via Google. The sign still had the burger counter, stalled as most did at 99 billion back in 1994.
I have photographed a couple of others like it.
This one is in Taylor, Michigan: [MAP]
And another in Branford, Connecticut: [MAP]
Debra Jane Seltzer’s marvelous Roadarch.com has several more locations.
BTW, Huntington Beach has at least one more McDonald’s curiosity: This location has a different style of sign that dates to the mid to late 1970s, I’d reckon.
Last call: A Delaware watering hole dating back to the 1700s closes for good
It’s hard to think of Wilmington, Delaware, or even Delaware itself, that “Small Wonder” of a state, without the Jackson Inn.
There’s been a watering hole here since the 1700s, a stop on the Lancaster Pike that connected this area to Philadelphia. Lore surrounds the Jackson name — an oft-told tale says that it was named for Old Hickory because of his strong base of supporters in the area. The story goes that Jackson visited in 1828 while campaigning for president and even raised the American flag here.
Historians can find no evidence of such but it makes for a good yarn. The Jackson Inn has been owned by the Bourdon family since 1929, and Fred Bourdon III, the grandson of the original owner, recently made the hard decision to close it. Bourdon, beset with health woes that frequently land him in the hospital, decided it was too much to carry on. The inn held a big farewell bash last month, naming it “Steaks, Pizza, Shrimp, Cocktails - A Farewell Concert for The Jackson Inn" after the iconic words on the sign.
Delaware Online reports of rumors that the rapidly expanding Wawa convenience store chain is eyeing the land. (Wawa’s name often turns up in these kinds of situations in the region.) Whatever happens here next, the paper reports it likely won’t be called the Jackson Inn, because Bourdon is hanging on to the name, and a solitary bar on this large property seems unlikely in an age where real estate is always so efficiently maximized for its revenue potential.
The signage likely dates to the late 1950s, when the inn was rebuilt after the original was razed for a road-widening project. Its ultimate fate is unknown.
Notes From the Road
Angel Delgadillo of the legendary Original Route 66 Gift Shop in Seligman, Arizona, has just turned 96. Happy birthday, sir! I visited his shop back in 2013. [Angel & Vilma Delgadillo's Original Route 66 Gift Shop/Facebook]
I love a good Ben Franklin store, and they still survive in dozens of small towns around the country. We’re losing another one, this time in Canton, Ohio. [Cantonrep.com]
After almost 80 years, King’s Barbeque is closing in Petersburg, Virginia, is closing. [WTVR]
The shuttered Tastee Diner in Silver Spring, Maryland, has been sold; the site will be redeveloped. [Source of the Spring]
Buddy’s Diner in Somerville, Massachusetts, is currently closed, reportedly because of problems with its water pipes. [RoadsideFans Facebook page]
The panels, seen here in my photo from 2013, were switched out but the dogs getting cozy were preserved. (Rolando Pujol) I’m normally very suspicious of new signs at classic shops. In the case of Cozy Dog Drive-In in Springfield, Illinois, I think we have an improvement. I visited the old one in 2013 on my Route 66 adventure. [Memories of Springfield, Illinois….and surrounding areas/Facebook]
The Supply Sergeant as it appeared in September 2008. Surprisingly it’s the only photo I have of this sign, a sign that I have taken it for granted. (Rolando Pujol) Ominous news: The Hollywood building that has been the longtime home of Supply Sergeant — and its iconic neon sign — is for sale, and the real-estate listing will jolt anyone who cares about the sign. [LoopNet via Chris Nichols]
A Westchester County bistro once operated by actor Richard Gere and his now ex-wife Carey Lowell has closed. [LoHud.com]
Beloved Cuban bakery La Rosa, a part of Miami, Florida, life since 1968, has closed. [La Rosa Bakery/Facebook]
The last Sears in North Carolina, located in Greensboro, is closing. [Fox 8]
The ghost of the old 99: Hidden highway history revealed on a California sign. [LA Times]
The Hamburglar is back! Here’s how McDonald’s hamburger-obsessed character is being redeployed. [Bloomberg]
The South Bay Cinemas on Long Island (and its “fontastic” sign I hope!) is reopening … [Patch]
... while Long Beach Cinema on Long Island has closed. [News 12]
The White Castle as it looked back in March. (Rolando Pujol) The old-school White Castle in Bayside, Queens, is being renovated. [Patch]
A “little slice of heaven” is being demolished in Detroit. [CBC]
Later this week: Long-promised features on Jimmy Carter’s hometown and the evolution of the Pepsi logo are coming your way! And more travel guides are in the works … start planning your retro trips!
First saw you on IG. You’re my second Substack follow. Like “the rest of the story” and other tidbits here. So thankful you can do this.
I grew up in a Ben Franklin family in PA! The photos from Canton, OH were eerily familiar! Thanks.