Post #596028 by JOHN-O on Sun, Jul 3, 2011 10:25 AM

That's not devolution. It's re-purposing.

If the new owners are so cheap that they simply put up a cardboard sign to advertise the new cusine, it's a good bet that the kitschy vintage signage will remain intact.

And remember it's acceptable to eat Chinese food cooked by Mexicans (ever peek inside the kitchen of a P.F. Chang's ?) but never ever, in any circumstances should you eat Mexican food cooked by Chinese. :)

And on a related-note, I've always thought about putting together an urban archeology pictorial thread in "Beyond Tiki", which highlights the post-1970's transformations of mid-century era buildings into Chinese restaurants. The phenomena is especially prevalent in So Ca's San Gabriel Valley, the nation's first suburban Chinatown. Before the real foreign money started pouring in, the new restaurant entrepreneurs would simply work with the existing architecture rather than tearing it down.

Ever see an A-framed (as in former House of Pies) Chinese restaurant ??