Country Deli-Gro
Baldwin Park, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Here’s a straightforward arrow doing its job at Country Deli-Gro in Baldwin Park. No looping flight path or elaborate detour on this one. The rectangular panels and arrow give the store a tidy roadside announcement along Ramona Boulevard.

The old name offers a little grocery-store shorthand, squeezing the deli and groceries together above the driveway. This was the neighborhood market formula: something for lunch, a few things for the kitchen, and bottles to round out the shopping list.

Check out how the arrow fits into the arrangement. It gives the marquee a little movement without overwhelming the lettering. Not every liquor store needed a giant clown or a pouring bottle to earn a second look.

UPDATE: Country Deli-Gro is still in business as Country Liquor at 12744 Ramona Boulevard. The old sign structure and arrow remain, with updated lettering carrying the newer name. Good to see this one get a change of wording instead of a trip to the scrap yard. 10-26

Golden Arrow Liquor (Demolished)
Van Nuys, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Fancy the swooping arrow at Golden Arrow Liquor in Van Nuys. This one certainly lived up to the business name, with a sweeping curve that could catch the eye from well down the boulevard. Apparently, a straight line to the bottles would have been too easy.

The arrow gives the whole display a sense of motion. It’s the sort of roadside flourish that looked right at home among the Valley’s drive-ins, bowling alleys, and coffee shops during the 1950s and 1960s. A liquor store could have its own little architectural performance above the parking lot.

The business also found its way into New Year’s Evil (1980). The slasher film used the Victory Boulevard store as a location, giving the old storefront a supporting role in a rather unpleasant holiday celebration. For roadside enthusiasts, the background scenery offers a good reason to pause the movie.

UPDATE: The original Golden Arrow Liquor reportedly closed and was demolished, taking its big roadside arrow with it. Movie viewers can still catch the business during its working days, when the sign had more to advertise than a memory. 10-26

Luckners Liquors
Fontana, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Here’s a little extra flourish above Luckners Liquor in Fontana. Check out the arched loop crowning the marquee. Apparently, the lettering below needed something more interesting than a plain cap.

The curve gives this sign a different look from its arrow-covered relatives. Seen against the sky, the open shape is worth studying as much as the business name beneath it. It adds height without turning the whole display into a solid wall of metal.

Along a working commercial street like Sierra Avenue, these little differences helped one store stand apart from another. Some businesses chose bottles, others chose stars or enormous arrows. Luckners has its loop, giving roadside photographers another variation to add to the collection.

UPDATE: Luckners Liquor is still operating on Sierra Avenue. The loop-topped marquee reportedly remains at the business, giving this stretch of Fontana another piece of old roadside scenery to watch for. Good to see the name and its distinctive crown still paired up. 10-26

M&I Liquor
La Puente, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Check out the classic lettering at M&I Liquor in the San Gabriel Valley. This neighborhood store put its name above the traffic, giving customers something to watch for before reaching the driveway.

Reportedly established in 1971, M&I belongs to the generation of independent markets that carried their own names and their own signs. More than half a century later, those modest commercial landmarks deserve a little attention alongside the giant clowns and animated bottles.

UPDATE: M&I Liquor is still operating on Pacific Avenue in Baldwin Park. The supplied history reports that its vintage sign remains too, keeping another familiar name above the neighborhood. 10-26

Jimmy's Liquor
San Bernardino, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Here’s a nice arrow pointing customers toward Jimmy’s Liquor in San Bernardino. The roadside marquee handles the introductions above Waterman Avenue, leaving the storefront below to take care of the refreshments.

The arrow is a familiar part of the old liquor store formula, though each sign maker seemed to find another way to bend, stretch, or angle one. Jimmy’s adds its own version to the collection, giving motorists a clear invitation to pull off the street.

There’s another reason to look beyond the sign these days. A Route 66-themed mural has joined the building, adding some Mother Road scenery to the neighborhood stop. With the highway celebrating its centennial in 2026, the timing seems rather fitting. San Bernardino has plenty of road history to show off.

UPDATE: Jimmy’s Liquor is still open at Waterman Avenue and Fifth Street. The property has received a recent renovation and mural, while the older marquee reportedly continues its roadside duties. Good to see some highway scenery being added to the walls below it. 10-26

Nickey's Liquor
Garden Grove, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

There’s little chance of overlooking the arrow at Nickey’s Liquor in Garden Grove. This big fellow reaches down toward the business as though motorists might otherwise drive past the entire building.

The store’s reported history goes back to 1988, though the marquee’s shapes recall an earlier generation of Orange County signs. The tall cabinet and oversized arrow belong to the days when a neighborhood market could announce itself well before the driveway came into view.

Garden Grove Boulevard once offered plenty of competition for a driver’s attention. Restaurants, markets, and automotive businesses all had their own way of getting noticed. Nickey’s went with scale, putting the directions high enough that a parked car wasn’t about to hide them.

UPDATE: Nickey’s Liquor is still open on Garden Grove Boulevard. The large arrow sign reportedly remains above the lot, continuing to point customers in after nearly four decades under the Nickey’s name. Hopefully, there’s plenty of roadside service left in this one. 10-26

Bo John's Liquors
Garden Grove, CA
Photo courtesy Rene Carrasco

Here is a photo of a liquor store by the name of Bo John's Liquor located in Garden Grove CA. This liquor store has been around for decades. Of special note is the bottle sequence at the top on the sign, which when it was working, was quite a sight. Many thanks to David Carrasco for info.

When working, the bottle display put on quite a show. Animated neon could make an ordinary liquor store marquee worth an evening drive, especially when the sequence suggested the refreshments were already being poured.

The effect came from sections of lighting switching on and off in order. Nothing actually had to move for the bottles to appear busy. Before electronic message boards took over so much of the roadside, a few well-timed lights could provide all the action a sign needed.

Bo John’s had been around for decades when this view was taken. The bottles gave it an identity all its own, back when a neighborhood store could put a little entertainment above the parking lot.

Jug & Jigger Liquors
San Bernardino, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Check out the refreshments being served above Jug & Jigger Liquor in San Bernardino. The tilted jug pours toward a waiting glass, while the arrow below points customers toward the real thing inside. A fairly complete demonstration without anyone having to leave the sign.

The illustrated name is part of the fun. A jigger is a bartender’s measure, though the jug overhead looks prepared to serve a considerably larger helping. Apparently, moderation was left to the smaller equipment behind the counter.

This is the sort of sign that rewards a second look. There’s the shape of the jug, the receiving glass, the lettering, and then the arrow finishing the arrangement below. Plenty to fit onto one pole, and a good example of how a business name could become an entire roadside scene.

UPDATE: Jug & Jigger is still open on East Highland Avenue. The distinctive pouring-jug sign reportedly remains above the business, keeping this familiar San Bernardino combination together. Nice to see the refreshments still being advertised overhead. 10-26