Ted’s Frostop isn’t saved yet — but the demolition plan just hit a major roadblock
From Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans: Plans to demolish Ted’s Frostop hit a major roadblock on May 18, when Tulane University announced it would pause its potential involvement in a proposed student-housing redevelopment at South Claiborne Avenue and Calhoun Street.
The project, proposed by RCR Claiborne Venture III LLC, a company owned by the Robért family of Robért Fresh Market, would demolish the existing 1955 diner and replace it with a new mixed-use building. Tulane University planned to lease the upper floors of the complex for student housing, while Ted’s Frostop and parking would occupy the ground floor.
The proposed demolition of the iconic Uptown diner caused a collective outcry from neighbors, past and present patrons, and architecture enthusiasts alike. This latest news from Tulane is a testament to the impact a community can have when they show up and work together for a common cause.
Restoration of old ‘ghost signs’ shows off Boston’s fading West End history
The restored Holt & Bugbee lumber company sign in the West End of Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
From WBUR: When Brian Egdahl moved to Boston’s West End a few years ago three faded signs on the brick building next door caught his eye.
“It was something that you could barely really make out,” he said. Eventually, he came to learn more about the “ghost signs” and how these giant building advertisements once promoted local businesses.
Egdahl searched online for the companies behind the signs. One of them, a lumber manufacturer called Holt & Bugbee, was still in business.
He didn’t want the signs to remain faded. He began working with the company’s owners and the West End Museum to commission two artists from out of town to restore them to their former glory.
The Daily Heller: Paint, Brushes, Letters, Signs
From Print Magazine: BLAG is the world’s only magazine dedicated to signpainting craft, community and culture. Join the community for a free weekly dose of the action, or get the latest issue—BLAG 08—by becoming a Printer or Blagger.
Blag is edited and published by Sam Roberts, an aficionado/fan boy “seeking to champion and celebrate the craft in its many international manifestations,” he says. “It is an honor and a pleasure to serve the community that has grown around the magazine over the last five years.”
Hollywood’s historic Egyptian Theatre will close June 8 for ‘technical upgrades’ – here’s when it’s projected to reopen
Egyptian Theatre. Shutterstock
From Secret Los Angeles: The iconic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood is closing for the summer.
The theater updated its website with the news, citing “technical upgrades” for the temporary closure.
“The Egyptian Theatre will close temporarily to undergo technical upgrades beginning June 8,” reads the announcement. “We look forward to inviting you back this Fall.”
After 54 years, Cozy Soup ‘n’ Burger is closing on Astor Place
From EV Grieve: Say goodbye to another old-school diner.
A State College Restaurateur Plans to Revive a Downtown Diner
Baby’s Diner will open at 131 S. Garner St. in State College. Photo by Evan Halfen | StateCollege.com
From statecollege.com: A prolific State College restaurateur is bringing new life to a downtown diner, with a nod to its beloved past.
Hitham Hiyajneh plans to open Baby’s Diner in mid-June at 131 S. Garner St., he told StateCollege.com on Friday. The name, of course, is a nod to Baby’s Burgers and Shakes, which called the classic 1947 Silk City diner home for more than 30 years before closing in 2020. (The new Baby’s Diner is not connected to the owners of the former Baby’s Burgers and Shakes.)
SoCal stretch of Route 66 shaped how Americans eat fast food today
From KTLA: Route 66, which turns 100 this year, changed the way that we eat in this country, and Southern California’s stretch of the Mother Road gave birth to fast food as a way to feed travelers quickly.
KTLA’s Andy Riesmeyer visited Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Cafe in Victorville, where they’re short on space but long on hospitality.
Emma Jean’s is a small, unassuming diner off the road, surrounded by factories and truckyards. The classic diner has been serving travelers, truckers and locals for generations, built on the kind of no-frills and grills cooking that doesn’t try to be anything else.
West Virginia originals, historic Mail Pouch barns added to national register
The owners of Mail Pouch barns have access to financing and technical support for maintenance. (Photo courtesy Cody Straley)
From West Virginia Explorer: CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Authentically West Virginian, Mail Pouch barns are gaining national attention. Now, three roadside barns in West Virginia, painted with the slogan “Chew Mail Pouch,” have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
They began selling the clippings as a new product, which they branded “Mail Pouch.” The origins of the name are hazy, but it is believed to have been suggested by a mailman during a naming contest and to refer to the large sacks or pouches of mail that arrived in the city on riverboats.
The blend proved so popular that the brothers focused exclusively on selling it. They closed their store, stopped making cigars, and built a large factory on the south side of town. In 1890, Aaron and Samuel Bloch incorporated as the Bloch Brothers Tobacco Co.