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San Francisco Signs (page 1)

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Original Joe's
San Francisco, CA

2008:
2014:
Original Joe's opened in 1937. This sign was built in 1957. The restaurant closed at the end of 2007 after a devastating fire. The first photo shows the sign in place at the original location. In 2012, Original Joe's reopened at a new location. The unrestored sign is now displayed in two parts: the round sign hangs above the take-out entrance. The larger sign is around the corner, displayed flat on the side of the building. The Joe's letter sign that was on the facade at the old building is now displayed in the dining room. For more, see this website. [map]

Squat & Gobble
Cafe & Crepery [gone]
San Francisco, CA		 Dahl-Beck Electric Co.
San Francisco, CA		 Kean Hotel
San Francisco, CA
This Squat & Gobble Cafe & Crepery opened around 2002. The restaurant is still there but this sign is gone. The chain has four other locations in town, none of which have signs like this one. I suspect this sign was adapted from a previous business, most likely an Italian restaurant. The chef bears a strong resemblance to the one on the Original Joe's sign.

The Dahl-Beck Electric Co. was established in 1900. In 1952, the company moved to this Howard Street location. The sign may be from then. It was definitely there by 1959. In 1990, the company moved and left this sign behind. The building now houses residential lofts and other businesses. The sign is still maintained. For more, see this website. [map]

The Kean Hotel was built by 1947. This sign is probably from the late 1940s or 1950s. It was repainted and restored around 2010. [map]

Chancellor Hotel
San Francisco, CA		 City Service Cleaners
San Francisco, CA		 Paragon Cleaners
San Francisco, CA
The Chancellor Hotel was built in 1914. The vertical neon letters on both sides of the building may have been installed in the 1920s or 1930s. [map]

City Service Cleaners closed around 2019 but the sign remains. The sign which has ripple tin panels might be from the 1930s. [map]

Paragon Cleaners is also still in operation. This sign appears to be from the 1940s or 1950s. The neon has been missing since at least 2008. [map]

Kate O'Brien's
Irish Bar & Grill
San Francisco, CA		 Shell Building Garage
San Francisco, CA		 Grant Hotel
San Francisco, CA
Kate O'Brien's Irish Bar & Grill has been here since at least 2008. The bar might be very much older than that. The sign appears to be from the 1950s but I don't know what business it advertised for originally. For more, see this website. [map]

The Shell Building Garage sign might be from the 1950s. The Shell Building was constructed in 1929. This part of the building was probably always used for parking. [map]

The Grant Hotel was built in 1910. This sign is probably from the 1940s or 1950s. For more, see this website. [map]

John's Grill
San Francisco, CA
John's Grill was established in 1908. The signs are probably from the 1950s. [map]

Tad's Steaks
San Francisco, CA
Tad's Steaks opened in the late 1950s or early 1960s. This restaurant was part of a nationwide chain established in New York City in 1957. At its peak, there were 28 locations. There were restaurants in Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Detroit. All eight of the Tad's Steaks built in New York City have closed. This San Francisco location is the only one left. In 2019, the restaurant relocated and the sign was installed at the new location. For more, see this website. [map]

former Dolores De Luxe Market
San Francisco, CA
The Dolores De Luxe Market opened in 1911 and this sign was probably built in the 1930s. It was later repurposed for Mama's Market, replacing "Dolores De Luxe" with "Spirits Mamas." In 2022, Dolores DeLuxe opened in the space had the sign restored with similar lettering to the original, without the word "Market." For more, see this website. [map]

Lafayette Coffee Shop
San Francisco, CA		 Bi-Rite Market
18th St.
San Francisco, CA		 Bi-Rite Market
Divisadero St.
San Francisco, CA
The Lafayette Coffee Shop opened in 1953 and this sign is most likely from then. In 2016, the restaurant moved to a new location but this sign remained where it was originally installed. The building's new owners had the sign restored just a few months after the move. The sign was removed in 2022 but it was reinstalled in 2023. For more, see this website. [map]

The Bi-Rite Market on 18th St. opened in 1940. The glazed tiles and facade are original. This raceway sign with backlit stainless-steel letters is from 1949. For more, see this website. [map]

The Bi-Rite Market location on Divisadero St. was built in 2013 and has a similar sign. [map]

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