Years ago, we had a restaurant just outside of town, in the little area called Marne, Dooley's Diner.
It had originally been a small grocery store, then it was converted into a restaurant. One owner did quite well when they were working on a new freeway and all the workers ate there. When the freeway opened, he got smart a sold it.
It did well for a while, but they finally closed up.
Then I came along and re-opened it. We did a good breakfast trade and an even better lunch. There was some construction going on, and oil field workers who pumped the shallow wells around the area.
Shortly after we opened, in one of my moments of "good sense" lapses, I decided to have a sign painter do a big sign to hang over the door, 5' x 4'.
Now remember, we are in a small rural community, a lot of elderly people, retired farmers, a lot of good folks.
I called an old sign painter who actually painted, no vinyl, and he came from Granville out to our place after I called him. I knew what I wanted, but had nothing down on paper for him to look at.
We sat in a booth and I told him what I wanted ....
"I'm sorry, you want a what?"
"A big, gold foot, with a high arch."
"I thought that's what you said."
I thought it was a great idea, a takeoff of "Eat under the Golden Arch."
I think I was the only one who saw the humor in it. I had hoped to get sued by McDonalds or something, at least some publicity.
But nothing happened, just a decrease in business, very few saw any humor in the sign, a big yellow foot hanging over the door of a restaurant.
It did inspire a few comments, most of which were a little on the gross side and will stay unsaid.
I thought it was clever.
