A Sign of the Apocalypse?

Here's a disturbing sight that greeted U. S. Route 6 motorists over the weekend: a wrecked Chris' Restaurant sign. That's it, lying on the ground in front of the remaining poles.

It's quite an apocalyptic vision compared to the usual scene (below).

I called the restaurant on Sunday to ask what had happened. They confirmed my guess that the destruction had been the result of one of the recent storms.

Note how a portion of the original Howard Johnson neon sign (that spells out RESTAURANT) is exposed. On the ground, you can also see what looks like some of the original Hojo blue sign peeking out from under the layers of paint of previous Chris' Restaurant logo designs.

Here's a classic Hojo sign (although it's for a motor lodge) with a similar 'RESTAURANT' component (below).

Here's hoping the restaurant has a good insurance policy – signs are expensive. But out of calamity comes opportunity. Perhaps a new sign – maybe even a classic neon one – can be designed to reflect the popular restaurant's heritage and longevity, and draw in even new customers.