Blade Signs Help Restaurants Generate Foot Traffic
Stay-at-home-orders are beginning to lift, resulting in many restaurants opening their doors to start the process of serving delicious food again.
It’s not a stretch to say we Californians have missed frequenting our favorite noshing spots from burgers to sushi cravings.
Previously, restaurants only offered pickup and delivery services, but some now are offering indoor seating. However, the social distancing measure that requires them to distance dining tables six feet apart also reduces their seating capacity to about half of what it used to be.
A Fresh Solution to Reduced Seating
Fortunately, many restaurant owners in Ventura County and neighboring areas are getting their patron numbers up by expanding outside seating.
You may have noticed this accommodation style along sidewalks, streets, and even in cars if you’ve dined out.
The move makes dining out alfresco, a dining experience rooted in the Italian tradition. Italian locals nourish themselves with delicious food while basking in the fresh air of their natural surroundings, alfresco, “done or eaten in the open air.”
Keep in mind that if you are an owner offering outside dining amenities, patrons will now want to find your restaurant to try it out. They will soon be on the move for the alfresco experience in their area if they haven’t done so already.
Therefore, you’ll want to greet your eager diners with signage designed in a manner that directs them to your restaurant. In light of that, blade signs are an effective way to attract street and foot traffic.
Blade Signs in Brief
A blade sign is designed to project out from the façade of a building or storefront pole. Other types are attached to surfaces that are perpendicular to passersby. They are extremely popular in areas where there is plenty of foot traffic, such as downtown storefronts and shopping areas.
Retro Blade Signs of the Fox Theatre
Blade signs debuted in the fourteenth century, and sign makers started offering more elaborately designed styles in the 1930s. Nostalgic blade signs that most of us are probably familiar with include the old-style neon signs that adorned theatres in the 1930s and 1940s. The historic Fox Theatre in downtown Riverside, now known as the Fox Performing Arts Center, originally had two examples of these classic neon signs at its entryways.
The Fox Theatre was shuttered until the 1990s when a revitalization effort was started to reopen it. It was renovated in 2010, giving the Theatre a massive facelift. Weighing in at 900-pound, 22-foot each, two replicas of the original hanging signs were installed during the renovation. A decade later, the building that functioned as a vaudeville stage and movie palace in 1929 is still fabulous today. The signs are a big part of the Theatre’s charm. They attract and direct people to the entertainment venue.
The Advantages of Blade Signs
The advantages that blade signs bring to your business can’t be emphasized enough. The right design can:
- Get you noticed – Blade signs operate similarly to way-finding signs, and they pull the eye to look at them for navigation. This feature has your business stand out from the rest in terms of sending street and foot traffic your way. Eye-grabbing signage also entices patrons to peek inside to see what you have “in-store.”
- Add welcome familiarity –Whether for a restaurant or other franchise, renowned brands, and logos stand out to people who appreciate and find comfort in familiar products. An excellent experience (including a unique and memorable sign), translates to excellent word of mouth advertising and repeat business, all from a well-known brand or brand that is new and exciting.
- Be designed in various ways – Custom crafted signs capture the essence and message of your business’s brand. Dave’s Signs takes your input to make this happen and creates your sign in whatever design style, shape, and size. We design, fabricate and install eye-catching blade signage. Styles we recommend include Sandblasted Panel Signs, Box Cabinet Signs, and Aluminum Blade Signs.
Dave’s Signs operates locally throughout Ventura, Santa Barbara, and L.A. Counties. We also provide custom created signage to organizations nationwide. From providing contemporary signs to refurbishing retro neon signs, Dave’s is the premier sign company to turn to for your blade sign needs. We are also the experts in crafting signs that stay in tune with the brand, identity, look, and feel of your business. Call us today for a quote at (805) 641-1387 or contact us online.
