Roland's Market on the Southeast corner of 15th Street and Van Buren
Phoenix, Arizona
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

The owner now told me that he bought Roland's Market about ten years ago form the original owners who were also Asian - he told me that Roland's was first an Oriental food market.

See the fate of Roland's Market and more at Roadside Peek's Spotlight on Roland's Market.

Ace Hardware
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

According to the 4th generation owner of the Ace Hardware business at 2242 N 24TH St in Phoenix, AZ, the store was originally located at 32nd St and Thomas and owned by his great grandfather who didn't want to rent any more so he built this location and sign (24th St & Oak) in the early 60's. It used to be called "Lubos Hardware" and the sign had "Lobos" in vertical lettering and the words "hardware" running across the bottom.

Ace Hardware
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

According to a long time employee, the sign was originally translucent lexan and was back lit until a storm blew it apart in the 1990's. Because of the sign's historical value the City of Phoenix allowed them to keep the sign as long as they repaired it within a given amount of time. As the City offered no financial assistance, it had to be replaced with sheet metal for economical reasons. The marquee part of the sign is now the only part that lights up.

Ace Hardware
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

On an interesting side note, the down stairway and basement of the house that used to sit on this corner are still under the building but was filled in with dirt to create a solid foundation for the new 60's construction.

The family also owns the Ace Hardware located at: 5545 N 7th St in Phoenix, off Missouri. The 7th Street and Missouri area used to be called "Cinema Park" (was an area of theatres). Many thanks to Elgin MacMillan for info.

The towering sign outside this Ace Hardware has been watching over the corner of 24th and Oak streets since the early 1960s. Long before the familiar Ace name arrived, the family business operated here as Lubos Hardware. The sign displayed “Lobos” vertically in large translucent letters, with “Hardware” stretching across the bottom.

UPDATE: A windstorm destroyed the sign’s translucent face during the 1990s. The family received permission from the city to keep the landmark structure, covering it with sheet metal as an affordable repair. The fourth-generation hardware business remains open, and the altered old sign still stands above the corner. 09-26

Lucky Cue (Closed)
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

Phoenix is home to the Lucky Cue billiard room and its rather unique sign. Unfortunately, the pool table sign has slowly been falling apart with an ever increasing rate of deterioration. The graffiti may have appeared about 3 or 4 years ago. The sign looks like it may have been neon at one time.

Here is the Lucky Cue sign after restoration. The owners are fixing it up, and they took down the letter to paint them. According to the owner, the balls are made of glass. It's a wonder if they lit up at one time. I also talked to the elderly barber next door who is a Native American and has been in Arizona for about 60 years. According to the barber, the sign may be about 47 years old, which would put it at about 1958. It does have that 50's look. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillan for info.

Lucky Cue
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

The Lucky Cue billiard room once stood at 1612 E. McDowell Road, near the busy intersection with North 16th Street. Its wonderfully unusual roadside sign featured a stylized pool table, crossed cue sticks and three-dimensional pool balls made from solid glass. Beneath it, a smaller marquee helpfully reminded players that there was “Parking in Rear.” No need to explain the business when the sign brought the pool table right outside.

The sign reportedly dated to around 1958, according to the owner of the neighboring barbershop, who had worked next door for some 60 years. Its playful design fit right into that era, when even a small neighborhood billiard room could have a custom roadside display filled with odd shapes, bright colors and plenty of personality.

One can imagine the Lucky Cue on a busy evening, with the crack of billiard balls coming from inside while its colorful marquee watched over the sidewalk. Regulars probably knew every table and every player, while newcomers only had to follow those oversized pool balls to find the front door. The neighboring barbershop must have added to the feeling of an old-fashioned commercial strip where everyone knew everyone else.

Lucky Cue (Restored)
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

One can imagine Lucky Cue on a busy evening, with the crack of billiard balls coming from inside while the colorful marquee watched over McDowell Road. Regulars probably knew every table and every player, while newcomers only had to follow those oversized glass pool balls to find the place.

Years of Arizona sun and weather eventually took their toll on the sign. Graffiti caused even more damage, leaving the once-cheerful marquee faded and neglected. Fortunately, the owners decided that Lucky Cue deserved another shot. The lettering and panels were removed, sanded and repainted before being returned to the sign.

Lucky Cue (Restored)
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

The restoration brought back much of its original mid-century character, including those unusual raised billiard balls. It is not often that a neighborhood pool hall sign receives this kind of attention, especially when so many others are simply pulled down and thrown away.

UPDATE: Lucky Cue eventually closed, and the building later operated as Billares Silverado. The current status of the old pool hall and its restored roadside sign has not been confirmed. Hopefully those glass billiard balls are still safely racked somewhere in Phoenix. 09-26

The Lucky Cue sign has some resemblance to this sign in Oklahoma.