Chalkboard Restaurant Sign

The Downtown Grocery

We had an e-mail inquiry a few weeks back that included dimensions and color renderings of a sign with a chalkboard look for a new restaurant. I liked the design right off the bat and didn't need to ask any further questions to quote on it. The chalkboard look automatically meant a flat surface, it also included a heavy wood frame. So I sent back a proposal with fabrication details and a lead time. Quite often these internet inquiries don't end up in work. It may be that someone is just checking prices or browsing the web and makes a casual inquiry. I will always follow up and respond because some have turned into really great jobs. This one was for a local ski area town and they were in a hurry for the sign so the short leads time was part of us getting the job. We got a signed quote back and a note written on a baggage ticket with the deposit and started in.

I always  figure if you have come to Keene Signworx for a sign you should get something special and so don't always look for the cheapest way to accomplish a build. In this case we used an aluminum frame, Dibond composite and Lord adhesive to build a stiff torsion box panel. This was finished in flat black and set a side. I capped it with a cedar frame which was primed and finished with acrylic latex paint. The lettering was painted through a mask and we used a dry brush technique that was intended to look like chalk. After the final assembly and lettering was done we chalked the surface to complete the look.

We went to do the installation in mid afternoon which was a little later than I had hoped but the weather looked good and the arm the sign was going on was already in place so it should be short work. When we got to Ludlow the mountain was white from mid slope up and the wind was whipping through town. Luckily it was on a narrow side street and it wasn't as windy. We met Abby the owner for the first time and set about installing the sign. It went pretty well until I noticed the old arm had at one point a set of guy wires. It was a little rickety and so I asked Abby about a hardware store. She was off and returned with everything we needed in about 5 minutes.  As we were leaving Abby told us her in-law that designed the sign designs snowboards for Burton. I wasn't surprised it had come from an accomplished designer but am always surprised when anyone hits a good outdoor sign design when they don't do it often.We finished up, all agreed the sign looked great and left with final payment in hand happy to be in the warm truck and to be so lucky to be working in a custom sign shop.