The Howlin’ Ray’s hot chicken restaurant in Pasadena, California, held a soft opening last week with the restored Adohr Milk Farms sign on the historic building.
About two years ago, Howlin’ Ray’s hot was doing a face-lift on a building at 800 Arroyo Parkway (aka Route 66) when it uncovered an original Adohr Milk Farms facade, along with intact neon tubes.
The Howlin’ Ray’s account on Instagram announcing the soft opening showed an image of the refurnished building with the sign:
Esotouric, a champion of historic preservation in the Los Angeles region, congratulated Howlin’ Ray’s for keeping the sign:
About a year ago, an Instagram post by Esotouric showed the restored Adohr’s sign:
According to Howlin’ Ray’s website, the Pasadena restaurant will be fully open by Nov. 16.
A public records request revealed a sign installation permit from the city that indicates the neon sign was installed in 1934, though the document is too hard to read to be certain. That would have made the Adohr Milk Farms sign one of the oldest intact neon signs in existence on its original building.
The dairy was founded by Merritt and Rhoda Rindge Adamson in 1916 in nearby Tarzana, California. Adohr Milk Farms went out of business by 1969.
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