Ernie's Coffee Shop (Rem.)
Sault Ste Marie ON, Canada Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The neon sign at Ernie's Coffee Shop was a familiar sight along Queen Street in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. Glowing at dusk, it offered the kind of welcome that made stopping for coffee seem like a good idea. The sign began advertising Larry’s Coffee Shop in 1957, before receiving a new name when Ernie and Judy Febbraro purchased the restaurant in 1972. 06-14
Ernie’s built a loyal following for hearty comfort food and its neighborhood atmosphere. New ownership brought an updated menu in 2020, continuing the restaurant’s long downtown run. Unfortunately, a delivery truck damaged the famous sign in 2021, forcing its removal from the building.
UPDATE: Ernie’s remains open, and both sides of the damaged sign were saved. One resides at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum, while the other was preserved by a local collector. Although the neon no longer hangs above Queen Street, this piece of the restaurant’s history escaped the scrap pile. 06-26
Powers Hamburgers
Fort Wayne, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The glowing neon at Powers Hamburgers gives this little Fort Wayne diner a presence far beyond its size. Between the compact building and the bright sign, it’s an inviting stop for anyone who appreciates an old-fashioned hamburger stand. It’s especially worth a look after dark, when the neon gives the place an extra helping of character. 07-07
Opened in 1940, Powers has been part of downtown Fort Wayne for generations. The small building recalls an era when hamburger restaurants relied on a counter, a busy grill, and a recognizable sign to bring customers through the door.
Powers Hamburgers
Fort Wayne, IN Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The specialty is the slider, cooked on a bed of onions using a recipe that has remained central to the restaurant’s identity. The aroma of onions on the grill is as much a part of the experience as the neon outside.
Other Fort Wayne locations once carried the Powers name, but this diner is the remaining link to that local tradition. Ownership has changed over the years, while the emphasis on familiar burgers and a simple setting has endured.
The sign is a big part of what makes the restaurant memorable. Its restoration and relighting in 2024 gave the diner a fresh glow while preserving the vintage appearance that longtime customers recognize. It’s good to see a restaurant treat its old advertising as something worth keeping.
Word is the average eater at Powers orders 3 to 4 burgers
Powers Hamburgers
Fort Wayne, IN Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
UPDATE: Powers remains open in downtown Fort Wayne, serving its signature sliders from the historic diner. The restored neon continues lighting the way, keeping this small hamburger stand a colorful part of the downtown streetscape more than eight decades after opening. 06-26
Powers Hamburgers has been a Fort Wayne burger institution since 1940. Located in an art deco styled building, Powers is located in the downtown area and is known for their sliders and dishes such as the Garbage Plate. 01-12
Cromwell Grill
Sarnia, ON Canada Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The Cromwell Grill neon hangs above downtown Sarnia like an invitation from an earlier era. Its bright lettering catches the eye before visitors reach the door, adding a familiar restaurant landmark just a short walk from the waterfront. 06-14
A downtown favorite since the early 1960s, the grill was operated for nearly fifty years by brothers Gus and Sam Derlis. Both started working there as teenagers before taking over. Vinyl booths, hearty breakfasts, fresh-cut fries and homemade gravy helped keep generations of customers returning to the neighborhood diner.
UPDATE: Cromwell Grill remains open in downtown Sarnia, with its classic neon sign still in place. The familiar food and surroundings continue the restaurant’s long run. For roadside visitors, the glowing advertisement offers another reason to look up while exploring the older downtown streets. 06-26
Panos Lounge (Gone)
Evergreen Park, IL Photo courtesy Bruce R. Cassi / 1996
The Panos Lounge sign brought colorful neon to 95th Street and Kedzie Avenue in Evergreen Park. This 1996 view captures the family tavern during its long neighborhood run. By 2007, it was still serving customers while redevelopment rumors gathered around the block. 06-07
George and Christina Panos established the business, later passing it to their daughters. A package liquor store accompanied the bar, following a familiar Chicago-area tavern arrangement. Flashtric Sign Company created the porcelain-and-neon display that made the corner especially memorable to roadside photographers.
UPDATE: Panos closed in 2007, and the building was demolished in April 2008. A Chase Bank now occupies the site. Most of the sign was lost, although the “Panos” lettering was reportedly saved in a private collection—a small surviving piece of the old corner welcome. 06-26
Panos Lounge (Gone)
