Iconic LA restaurant to face wrecking ball, new shock planning docs reveal
The Googie-style building once housed Penguin Coffee Shop, a midcentury restaurant, cafe and bar. Santa Monica Conservancy
From the New York Post: A classic California diner could soon be reduced to rubble.
The future of Mel’s Drive-In in Santa Monica is uncertain as the site’s owners have submitted plans to raze the iconic diner and replace it with a hulking mixed-use building.
Plans for the new building call for an eight-story structure with 138 apartments. There will also be 5,667 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a semi-underground parking garage with space for 123 vehicles.
Time Travel at Minneapolis’ Band Box Diner
Photos by Caitlin Abrams
From mspmag.com: The Band Box diner is a time-travel device. It’s also the place where Brad Ptacek—card-carrying former rock star (as bass player for Urban Guerrillas) and former top chef (nine years as executive chef at Caffe Solo)—will flip 16 strips of bacon like he’s keeping time back in the pocket behind a thrashing guitar, crisp you up some boiled red potatoes, crack some eggs, and pour you a fat old diner pancake that’s a little crisp and a little salty and plenty soft and fresh.
You could take that pancake on a plate and fly around the history of America offering a forkful to Archie and Veronica, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, Mork and Mindy, or anyone else you can think of from the last 100 years and say: Isn’t this a perfect diner pancake? Want some? And they would have to answer: Absolutely, absolutely, it is the perfect diner pancake. And yes, I would like my own. Then, with a heavy mug of coffee in hand, you can perch on a diner stool and enjoy that perfect cake because this is what we do in America!
Rocket (Neon) Man: Classic, artistic signage continues with reopening of shop in downtown Boise
Keith Spencer, the new owner of Rocket Neon in Boise, heats a glass tube and bends it for use in neon sign making. (PHOTO: MARC LUTZ, IBR)
From the Idaho Business Review: Their distinct glow, craftsmanship and retro aesthetics have a mesmerizing way of drawing people in.
And when the need arose to design, repair, restore or fabricate handcrafted neon signs locally, most Treasure Valley businesses were plugged into Rocket Neon.
Founded by Wil Kirkman in 2000 and illuminated by his artistry and craftsmanship, Rocket Neon developed a glowing reputation in the unique industry for neon statewide and throughout the Northwest during the past quarter century. But Kirkman’s passing last year left a faint glimmer of light and hope for local neon sign owners and enthusiasts.
Now the longstanding business has been re-energized with its recent acquisition by area resident Keith Spencer, who possesses two decades-plus worth of experience as a neon bender, shaping and illuminating glass tubing.
A Spanish Revival Landmark Saved for Future Generations
The historic Hotel del Sol Building, listed in the National Register in 1982, is located in the historic downtown of Yuma, Arizona, across from the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot. Vacant for decades, the building is currently being rehabilitated by the City of Yuma as a multimodal transit center. Arizona SHPO
From the National Trust for Historic Preservation: For generations, the Hotel del Sol has been a recognizable landmark in downtown Yuma.
Located within the National Register-listed Main Street Historic District, the building represents an important part of the community’s architectural and transportation history.
The building’s Spanish Revival character—including its arcades, tower, and porches—helped define its place in the historic district.
7UP ‘ghost sign’ in Cedar City sparks memories of wedding proposal 50 years ago
Gloria and Richard Bratton were engaged in 1974 in front of a historic 7UP sign that has recently been uncovered on Main Street in Cedar City. (Cedar City Historic Preservation Commission)
From KSL: CEDAR CITY, Utah — When Gloria Bratton heard the news that the historic 7UP sign on Main Street in Cedar City had been uncovered, memories of one of the most important days of her life came flooding back.
“I was working at Lin’s grocery at the time, and Richard came to pick me up for my lunch break … and the sign was right there,” Bratton said.
The year was 1974, and that lunch at Hugh’s Café turned into a marriage proposal.
Downtown committee approves demolition of 1960s department store skybridge
A 1966 photograph taken on Union Street by Harry Callahan. David Winton Bell Gallery
From Providence Preservation Society: Providence’s Downtown Design Review Committee unanimously approved demolition of a 1960s concrete pedestrian skybridge at its Monday meeting. The meeting of the committee, which guides development in Providence’s downtown, was its first since October 2025.
Demolition of the “Tri-Store Bridge” — which crosses over Clemence Street to link three former Westminster Street department stores — was requested by the state’s Department of Administration, citing deterioration of the defunct structure and the cost of maintenance.
The estimated cost of stabilizing the bridge was $113,000 in 2021, according to a department spokesperson.