Rolando's Roadside Roundup: Sept. 30
A visit to Mel's Diner from 'Alice'; Haines Shoe House gets some polish; Katz's sandwich honors the NYC subway; 'Stranger Things' landmark doomed
Well, kiss my grits! A visit to the real Mel’s Diner made famous on classic sitcom ‘Alice’
Hi there, fellow Retrologists!
Thursday was National Coffee Day, and over on my Instagram, I offered a roundup of icon roadside coffee pots and cups.
On the newsletter today, I wanted to go into a little more depth about one of those places, Mel’s Diner, in Phoenix, Arizona.
I visited Mel’s back in May 2018, on assignment for Antenna TV, the nostalgia TV network where I oversaw social media for a few years. (I know, talk about a dream gig!)
The fruits of my labor from that trip include this video you can see on Antenna TV’s Facebook page, about Mel’s Diner.
The diner has existed since the 1960s, opening originally as Lester’s.
The founder of this diner was Lester Bammesberger, who opened one here, another in Bryan, Ohio, and a third in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
He applied a winning formula to each: His first name and the same design for the signs — the tilting coffee cup with an arrow covered in light bulbs pouring out.
The Phoenix diner was chosen in the 1970s to represent Mel’s Diner, and a shot of the iconic tilting coffee-cup neon sign briefly appears in the opening credits.
By then it was called Chris’s Diner, but the word Mel’s was swapped in when the footage was filmed.
Interior scenes, however, were shot in the studio in Burbank.
But it wasn’t officially called Mel’s until many years later.
When Manos Stivaktakis took over in the early 2000s, he kept getting calls from people asking for Mel.
An immigrant from Greece, he’d never seen ‘Alice,’ but he quickly realized he was sitting on a television-tourism treasure.
He renamed the diner Mel’s, changing the sign.
There’s plenty of memorabilia on hand, including framed photos of the cast, a ticket stub from a 1980 episode taping, even an old script.
I had a great meal there, and a lot of fun examining the memorabilia and photographing the sign.
Next time you’re ‘just passing through’ Phoenix, make sure you stop by Mel’s Diner!
Haines Shoe House is getting a shine as it preps for Airbnb future
The Haines Shoe House outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania recently closed after years of serving as a museum and ice cream parlor. The new owners have bold plans for the big shoe — they are turning it into an Airbnb, which would be a return to one of its earlier uses after “Shoe Wizard” Mahlon Haines opened it in 1948 to promote his shoe stores.
The new owners posted an update on their Facebook as they give the shoe a new paint job, featuring a slight color change to reflect the actual kind of shoe the house was based on. Click to see the photos.
They wrote:
The exterior of the Shoe House is a stucco finish, which Weilers' Masonry provided a fresh coat and complete repair in a few spots to keep it water tight for years to come!
Then Ville Painters, Inc. is coating the whole exterior in a fresh coat of elastomeric paint to keep the Shoe snug!
And the color change mimics the original 'Workboot' the Haines Shoe House was modeled after, a White/Dark Grey theme. The Model Shoe will remain on display inside the Shoe House.
I’m looking forward to visiting again, and maybe spending a night in the big shoe! I’ll keep you updated on progress here.
More in my recent Insta post:
Georgia Brutalist building featured in ‘Stranger Things’ will be demolished
The Brutalist complex in suburban Atlanta that was made famous in Netflix’s “Stranger Things” will be demolished, reports Building Designs Online.
The exterior of the Georgia Mental Health Institute in Druid Hills served as the mysterious and spooky Hawkins National Laboratory in the popular show, now in its fifth season.
Designed by noted architect A. Thomas Bradbury, the demolition will make way for a residential development aimed at older adults. The institute was long ago decommissioned and is now owned by Emory University.
Another building on the campus, once owned by a scion of the family behind Coca-Cola and also featured on “Stranger Things,” will be restored.
Notes from the Road
Legendary Manhattan gay bar Julius is up for landmark status. [ABC7]
New sandwich, the 1904, features iconic Katz's Deli pastrami, celebrates first subway trip from City Hall. [ABC7]
“Almost Heaven” sign welcoming visitors to Chester, West Virginia, has been restored. [Herald Star]
Chester is home to the World’s Largest Teapot, which I shared with you this summer.
Which shuttered Lexington, Kentucky, restaurants should reopen, asks Kentucky.com. I’ll start — the Parkette Drive-in! [Kentucky.com]
Preservation group reveals list of most endangered buildings in Maine. [Fox 23]
Boo! Here’s a spooky place to stay in Idaho. [Only in Your State]
How Holiday Inn revolutionized 20th century travel. [CNN]
