Happy's Liquor Store (Closed)
Fresno, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Along F Street in Fresno, check out the bottle leaning over the entrance to Happy’s Liquor Store. The custom neon bottle looks ready to pour customers right through the doorway below. Paired with an old 7-Up advertising panel, the marquee gave this neighborhood liquor store plenty of roadside personality. Now doesn’t a sign like this make you happy?

The building dates back to 1943 and stands in Fresno’s historic Chinatown district, tucked between Highway 99 and the railroad tracks. The exact age of the bottle sign is unknown, although its weathered neon and unusual design suggest that it watched over F Street for many years.

UPDATE: Happy’s Liquor Store has closed, but the building and its tilting bottle sign still survive. Unfortunately, years of weathering, neglect, and heavy graffiti have left the old storefront looking rough around the edges. The bottle continues to lean over the entrance, waiting for better days to come around. 09-26

Palm's Liquors
Bakersfield, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Standing tall above busy Chester Avenue, the old marquee for Palm's Liquors is hard to miss. The sign comes complete with a neon palm tree at the top, adding a little tropical scenery to downtown Bakersfield. Down below, the low-slung red building with its white trim has plenty of roadside personality of its own.

Palms Liquor Store has been part of Bakersfield since 1928, making it a true neighborhood survivor. The exact age of the neon sign has not been confirmed, but it has watched over Chester Avenue for generations. Long after many other small businesses and their signs disappeared, the palm tree continued to rise above the street.

UPDATE: Palms Liquor Store remains open, and its vintage neon marquee still stands outside. The longtime business recently welcomed new owners Edwina and Veronica, beginning another chapter for this Bakersfield landmark while keeping the familiar name and sign in place. 09-26

Hank's Liquors
CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Sitting beside an old Central California highway, the faded sign for Hank’s Liquors looks like it had already seen plenty of hot summers and dusty afternoons. The weathered marquee may have been past its prime, but it still pointed travelers toward the liquor store nearby.

Signs like this were once common sights along the highways running through the Central Valley. A bold name, a tall pole, and enough color to catch the eye before the next turn. No fancy advertising campaign needed.

UPDATE: The exact city and address of Hank’s Liquors have not been confirmed, making it difficult to determine what became of the business or its old roadside sign. For now, both remain another Central California roadside mystery. 09-26

Ace-Hi Liquor Store
Merced, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Check out the old porcelain sign for Ace-Hi Liquor Store. The neon tubing was already missing or broken when this photo was taken, but the colorful porcelain face still had plenty of vintage appeal. Even without lighting up the night, it was the kind of sign that could make one hit the brakes.

Ace-Hi Liquor was operated by Ernest W. Tavares, a Merced native who later settled in Madera. By the mid-1950s, the store advertised hours until 12:30 in the morning and could be reached at the old exchange number ORchard 4-7517.

UPDATE: This location is in Merced, and the cleaners was demolished during a development. 9-26

Bi Rite Liquors
Merced, CA
Photo courtesy Jimmy Bowman

Standing outside the store in Merced, the vintage sign for Bi-Rite Liquors is still looking fairly intact. The old pole marquee is flanked by two large neon spheres, giving it a shape that would be hard to mistake for anything else. Add in the arrow pointing toward the business below, and motorists had little trouble figuring out where to stop. Yes, this is one roadside sign that definitely has balls.

Bi-Rite stands along Martin Luther King Jr. Way, a stretch once known as J Street. The neighborhood liquor store has changed with the times, adding a Chevron station, convenience store, and hot deli counter. Along with the expected beverages and road-trip supplies, the place has become known locally for its breakfast burritos and butter biscuits.

The exact age of the sign and the company that built it have not been confirmed. Still, its design is a reminder of the years when even the neighborhood liquor store needed a tall and memorable marquee to catch the attention of passing motorists.

UPDATE: Bi-Rite Liquors remains open, and its distinctive roadside sign continues to stand outside. The old marquee, arrow, and round neon accents survive along with the longtime Merced business, making this a vintage sign that can still point the way to something good to eat. 09-26

Liquors Wines (Gone)
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Outside Tower Liquors in Fresno’s Tower District, check out this old Liquors Wines Sign. The streamlined porcelain marquee kept the message simple and direct. No fancy slogan or cartoon bottle required, just two important words for anyone cruising through the neighborhood in search of refreshments.

The shape and porcelain finish gave the sign a classic mid-century appearance. Signs like this once stood outside neighborhood markets and liquor stores throughout the Central Valley, catching the sunlight during the day and pointing thirsty motorists in the right direction.

UPDATE: This appears to have been the sign outside Tower Liquors in Fresno’s Tower District. The liquor store and its old porcelain marquee have both been gone for several years. 09-26