Disneyland Marquee (2nd Generation)

Empire Furniture
Burbank, CA
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Check out the old building housing Empire Furniture in Burbank. The sign above the roof gives the business a little extra personality, recalling the days when a sign’s shape could help tell you its name. Even if you weren’t shopping for a sofa, this was the kind of storefront that could catch your eye on a drive through town. The building and sign make a fitting pair, with enough character to warrant a second look.

Furniture stores once supplied plenty of memorable roadside advertising, from oversized chairs to elaborate signs above the showroom. Getting shoppers through the door started with getting their attention from the street. Empire fits into that tradition, turning an everyday furniture stop into something worth pulling over to photograph.

UPDATE: The reported closure and alteration of the sign have not been independently confirmed. This view preserves the Empire name and the distinctive advertisement that helped the store stand out among Burbank’s neighborhood businesses. It’s a look back at the days when shopping for the living room could begin with an interesting sign overhead. 10-26

Dri-Powr (Gone)
Azusa, CA
Photo courtesy Dan MacPherson

Check out the Dri-Powr sign just off of Route 66 in Azusa, CA. The sign with the genie stopped being lit during the energy crunch of the 70's. Unfortunately, this business is no longer around. Many thanks to Dan MacPherson for info.

Dri-Powr sold automotive additives, placing the company in familiar territory along a highway built around the automobile. The genie also appeared on its product packaging, carrying the same attention-getting character from the roadside to the service-station shelf.

UPDATE: W;rd is the business is no longer around and has beeen gone for quite some time. 10-26

Studio City Camera Exchange (Gone)
Studio City, CA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Along busy Ventura Boulevard, Studio City Camera Exchange was a familiar stop for photographers in the Valley. Its sign marked a place to browse equipment, talk cameras, and get advice across a counter. The Thorsch family operated the shop for decades, with vintage cameras displayed inside giving visitors another reason to linger.

UPDATE: Since opening in 1946, the Studio City Camera Exchange has been a Valley institution. Unfortunately, like many of the old shops, the Camera Exchange shut its doors February 28, 2006. 05-06

UPDATE: The Camera Exchange is not just closed, but the signage has been removed from the building. 10-10

UPDATE: Studio City Camera Exchange closed on February 28, 2006, ending a longtime Valley business. By October 2010, RoadsidePeek also reported that its exterior signage had been removed. The shop and its sign are gone, but this view recalls a familiar Ventura Boulevard stop for generations of photographers. 10-26

UPDATE: Studio City Camera Exchange closed on February 28, 2006. By October 2010, its exterior signage had also been removed. Another longtime Ventura Boulevard shop was gone, leaving photographs like this to recall the days when a camera purchase came with a conversation at the local store. 10-26

Pete's Finishland (Closed)
San Bernardino, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Here is a photo of Pete's Finishland, located in San Bernardino, CA. This location features a very nice looking vintage sign featuring a working clock. Many thanks to David Carrasco for info.

You could check the time while checking out the sign at Pete’s Finishland in San Bernardino. The vintage advertisement featured a working clock, giving passing motorists another reason to look up along E Street. A furniture errand wasn’t required to appreciate this one. It supplied a little roadside character and a useful service to anyone driving by.

Located at 1064 N. E Street, Pete’s belonged to the neighborhood’s specialty furniture businesses. The clock helped make its sign more than a name above a storefront. After enough trips past the shop, looking over to see the time could become part of the daily routine.

UPDATE: Pete’s closed sometime before 2025 and the place is now called Back Support Systems. 10-26

Ben Key Pools (Closed)
Anaheim, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Located in Anaheim is the Ben Key Pools and its eye-catching sign. Notice the nice star on top of this fine sign and the interesting name in relation to the "bent key" in the sign. Many thanks to David Carrasco for info.

The pool business stood on South Harbor Boulevard, where the sign fit right into Southern California’s world of backyard swimming pools and attention-getting commercial strips. Even motorists with no chlorine or pool equipment on their shopping list had something to look at while passing by.

UPDATE: The Ben-Key building was demolished in 2015, but the sign received another assignment. In 2016, it was adapted for Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles. The pool business disappeared, yet its distinctive advertisement found a way to stay in the roadside picture—a welcome second act for an unusual Anaheim sign. 10-26

Zlaket's Food Market (Gone)
Garden Grove, CA
Photo courtesy Rene Carrasco

Check out this vintage market located in Garden Grove, CA. Zlaket's Food Market is still in operation and Family owned for decades in Historic Main Street. Many thanks to Rene Carrasco for info.

Established in 1927, Zlaket’s served Garden Grove through decades of change. As the surrounding area grew from an agricultural community into a busy Orange County city, the market kept its neighborhood following. Its longevity made it a connection to a much smaller Garden Grove.

UPDATE: Zlaket’s closed in November 2014 after 87 years in business. The closure ended a long family tradition on Main Street, though the market and the Zlaket family were honored again by the community in 2023. The place is now called Phin Smith. 10-26

Highgrove Court
Highgrove, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

The rooftop sign at Highgrove Court brings a little older roadside color to Highgrove. Its lettering and color scheme recall an earlier generation of trailer parks, when even a residential entrance might get an advertisement with some personality. You don’t have to be looking for a place to live to notice this one on the way past.

Located along East La Cadena Drive, the court belongs to the area’s older roadside housing landscape. Signs like this helped distinguish one property from the next, giving residents a familiar marker to watch for when heading home.

UPDATE: Highgrove Trailer Court continues to be around on E. La Cadena Drive. The rooftop sign is still there but one color and super faded. 10-26