It’s a more than half-century old slice of the past on the Central Coast which will once again be lighting up a community with smiles.
For decades, a sign invited hungry diners in Lompoc to come eat by using three simple words: Hi! Let’s Eat.
"The original sign is on a pedestal, kind of a mid-century modern art deco look," said Karen Paaske, with the Lompoc Valley Historical Society. She said the sign’s story started back in 1960 at a new restaurant on the 400 block of East Ocean Avenue.
"It was erected at the Hi Restaurant in March of 1960," said Paaske. She says the restaurant was very popular in Lompoc, especially for breakfast and lunch.
But, the Hi Restaurant eventually closed. A second restaurant took over the spot. When it closed, the property was later sold to make way for a Starbucks. The new owners didn't want the sign.
Paaske says the historical society took the sign, thinking it might restore it and keep it on its property. But, the ideal spot was back in the old town area, where it stood for decades.
Enter Dennis Block, the owner of American Host, an old school restaurant on Lompoc’s I Street.
"I was approached by a customer who said the Historical Society was looking for a location for the sign," said Block.
American Host is the kind of place which makes people who went to the Hi Restaurant more than a half-century ago feel right at home. Block volunteered to put it on his property, and many say it’s a fitting spot for the historic sign.
But, it didn’t happen overnight. Karen Paaske, with the Lompoc Valley Historical Society said they had to go through a city permit process. Then, they had to raise more than $20,000 for the project. They’re close to the goal, with people contributing through the sign’sGoFundMepage, with about two thousand to go. Many businesses did work to restore the sign at a discounted rate.
After all of the effort, Friday night is the big night. The refurbished sign will official be lit up at its new home outside of the American Host Restaurant at 5 p.m. Friday,
Restaurant owner Dennis Block said people are already telling him they love the fact the slice of history has been preserved.
And, even for those who aren’t stopping to eat, the historic Hi! Let’s Eat sign will now be there to leave people with smiles.