What’s the fate of the famous Cheese ‘n Stuff neon sign? Everything we know
The Cheese ‘n’ Stuff Deli’s rooftop sign is lighted for the first time in 20 years.” Douglas Towne
From the Arizona Republic: On Cheese ‘n Stuff Delicatessen‘s roof sits a sign. It’s a desk globe with the words “Cheese ‘n Stuff” in the center and “From Everywhere,” inside a red half-circle that wraps around the globe. At night, the sign’s neon glow is a howdy to the regulars who feel a connection to Phoenix and its history through this 76-year-old establishment. It also piques the curiosity of the newcomers who plan to check out the joint when it opens the next day.
Though not for long. The historic shop is closing at the end of April.
The sign, built by Leonard “Christy” Christensen in 1949, was lit up by multiple owners since the shop opened and was even one of the reasons the last buyer, Emil Zawatski, liked it so much and wanted to purchase the shop. Then the light went out of commission in the ’90s.
Fundraising for Fairhope’s historic ‘Hermit Hut’ reaches halfway mark
Hermit Hut, Tolstoy Park. John Sharp | jsharp@al.com
From AL.com: The grassroots effort to relocate the ‘Hermit Hut’ in Fairhope, Alabama, is halfway to its goal.
The Fairhope Single Tax Corporation, a non-profit entity that owns about 4,500 acres of land in and around the city, is pledging $184,500 or half of the $369,000 goal to get the concrete hut relocated.
The pledge is contingent on the other half being raised through community fundraising.
Treasure Island’s iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort to be demolished and rebuilt
The Thunderbird Beach Resort prior to Hurricane Milton’s arrival. Thunderbird Beach Resort
from St. Pete Rising: The iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort, a Treasure Island landmark for the past 68 years, is set to be completely demolished and rebuilt after sustaining catastrophic damage caused by last year’s back-to-back hurricanes.
The courtyard-style resort, located at 10700 Gulf Boulevard, was among many properties hit hard by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which left behind piles of debris and over 80% of extensive structural damage, forcing the immediate closure of the beloved beachfront destination.
In a social media post on April 10th, the ownership group wrote, “After extensive evaluations and much deliberation, we were left with no choice but to move forward with a full redevelopment of the hotel.
Demolition of historic Tucson motels on Drachman Street begins
From KVOA: TUCSON, Ariz. – The demolition of three historic motels on Drachman Street is now in progress. This morning, fences surrounded the former sites of the Tucson Inn, Copper Cactus Inn, and Frontier Motel.
This follows a recent Arizona Court of Appeals decision denying a request to halt the demolition. The Arizona Preservation Foundation and Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation attempted to prevent Pima Community College, the owner of these motels, from tearing them down.
Papa Cristo’s is closing, joining growing list of struggling longtime restaurants in L.A.
Chrys Chrys, owner of Papa Cristo’s, in his signature pose behind the counter of his Greek restaurant in 2016. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
From the L.A. Times: A Greek institution on May 4 will serve its last flame-kissed grilled lamb, its final pillowy potatoes, its saganaki swan song. After 77 years, the family-owned restaurant Papa Cristo’s is closing, with its building listed for sale.
What began as a Greek market in 1948 expanded to a full-fledged restaurant and community staple over decades. It’s united generations of Angelenos who’ve flocked to the edge of Pico-Union for specialty goods and Greek feasts from three generations of the Chrys family. The restaurant became the unofficial heart of the Byzantine-Latino Quarter, a small historic-cultural district, along with the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral nearby.
“It finally came to a point where we decided we’re gonna go on our terms,” said Mark Yordon, the cousin of owner Chrys Chrys, and a member of the family business for roughly 40 years. “We’re not gonna wait for a buyer to come in and say, ‘OK, I’m going to turn it into a hotel.’”
The Legend Behind One of the Oldest Burger Restaurants in America
Photo by Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet
From Eater New York: On Tonnelle Avenue in Jersey City, four lanes of traffic lurch under power lines, screeching and growling day and night, past a shuttered auto body shop covered in faded graffiti, a cargo truck repair facility, and a liquor store. It’s all cinder block structures until the corner of Manhattan Avenue, named Mario Costa Plaza. There, a white-paneled, circular building with a dotted red crown looks like it could light up and lift off into outer space — White Mana Diner.
The building was constructed for the 1939 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows to showcase how you could cook, serve, and plate burgers without moving your pivot foot. That was a year before McDonald’s first opened. Louis Bridges bought the building and transported it to its current location in 1946. It still retains its charm because longtime owner Mario Costa hasn’t changed much, least of all himself.
Costa began working there as a teenager in 1972, mopping between the ankles of powerful mobsters. By 1979, he owned the place. Today, the slick-haired, unlit cigar-chewing old Portuguese man owns just about everything on the block: There’s a row of five houses, one of which contains Ringside Gym — a no-frills boxing gym where champs have trained under Costa’s management — and Ringside Lounge, a Portuguese bar and restaurant where he keeps boxer Mike Tyson’s pigeon coops on the roof.