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“In the spirit of rasquachismo [or, ‘making the most from the least’], nothing is wasted and everything has soul. Our original sign was hand-painted by a young, local female artist, so it’s a true L.A. artifact. We’ve evolved it over the years, sometimes letting the ghost of the old sign shine through. Because in L.A., signs aren’t just signs. They’re history, art, and resistance.” — Owner Andi Xoch, , Los Angeles, California

“Our building is a small, white brick shop with black accents. We chose a simple sign with clean lines because we wanted the storefront to feel clean, welcoming, and approachable. We also made sure the sign glowed at night, because I loved the idea of someone driving by, seeing it lit up, and thinking, I have to check that place out.” — Co-Owner Staci Puleo, , Verona, New Jersey

“We’re an antiques store, so our sign is very descriptive of what we sell: dead people’s stuff, architectural antiques
and design. The logo is inspired by the Mexican tradition, with the skull for Day of the Dead. And the butterfly represents rebirth and new life.” — Owners Curran and Marymar Fudge, , Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

“Our sign reflects exactly who we are: simple, timeless, and authentic. Our crossed-swords logo, which we’ve had for nearly 40 years, quietly welcomes people to a place where things are still made by hand. Our workshop and store sit in a small town, and our sign is meant to blend into that landscape rather than compete with it.” — Owner Garry A. Littleton, , Lynnville, Tennessee

“When I took over, it was the Hublersburg Hotel and Family Tavern, and it had a reputation as a dive bar. So the change to Hublersburg Inn was an effort to rebrand as a respected dining destination. I updated our sign while keeping the federal style, and added ‘Spirited American Cuisine.’ It’s a play on words since we serve upscale American food and the Inn is definitely haunted!” — Owner Andi Heidt, , Hublersburg, Pennsylvania 

“The first thing people usually notice is the name. Long ago, National Lampoon magazine singled the store out for having the worst name for a business. Be that as it may, it’s a name people don’t forget. The vibe of our sign is vintage curiosity. We had a sign-maker do it by hand many years ago, and have had it refreshed, but kept it exactly the same. Fans of the store are often seen taking selfies in front of the sign!” — Owners Stephanie and
Aaron Meyerring, ,
Minneapolis, Minnesota

“We updated our craft shop’s logo three years ago, when we moved to a new location. We wanted it to feel whimsical, creative, and kick-ass, and we wanted a big side of magical. It’s why we added as much literal sparkle as possible.” — Owner Ashley Morken, , Fargo, North Dakota 

“We inherited the name Gadzooks, so the challenge was to honor the 34-year history of the business while refreshing it. We chose a font that denoted ‘open and friendly,’ with a high, thin sans-serif for sophistication. We kept the ‘g’ lower case for less formality and used American Typewriter for ‘salon’ because it’s old-school and trustworthy.” — Owners Kim and Scott Myles, ,
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania