White Center businesses: Marv’s Broiler sign gets TLC
Take a close look – WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz took that photo on Friday, and this photo exactly one week earlier:
You can see a bit of progress, as the iconic Marv’s Broiler sign on 16th SW gets a facelift, Deanie reports. She talked with manager/bartender Tammy, who says Marv’s owners will be restoring the sign’s neon and lights, with the help of White Center Community Development Association grants. Tammy also told Deanie that the rest of Marv’s exterior will get new paint in the coming year.
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September 3rd, 2011 at 9:57 am
Hers one for you history buffs or long term White Center residents:
I remember “Busey’s (restaurant) a first class restaurant/establishment in the 1950’s before Marv’s. What I can’t recall is:
Was the present day Marvs a hamburger/root beer restaurant for a short period of time before Marvs began??
September 3rd, 2011 at 10:50 am
I met Marv last year and he told me it was a xxx root beer before he bought it.
September 3rd, 2011 at 8:02 pm
Thanks JW. Appreciate you taking the time to post.
September 5th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
I remember Busey’s! Marinated dinner steak! Yum Yum!
September 6th, 2011 at 8:48 am
Bebecat–Remember the “uniforms” the waitresses would wear and the white tablecloths on the tables?
The Epicure across the street on the corner was Busey’s competition.
September 6th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
That sign is a classic. Good to see it is being maintained.
September 6th, 2011 at 1:07 pm
I don’t recall the actual timeline of when Busey’s converted their XXX Root Beer Drive-in to the sit down Diner format.
However, I went to work for them, as a dishwasher, in December of 1975.
A month later, on January 1st 1976, Marv bought the restaurant, and it became Marv’s Broiler. I worked for him for nearly two years IIRC.
Marv actually considered changing out the sign entirely, and I remember seeing some sketches of proposed designs.
In the end, however, in the interest of keeping costs down, Marv decided to keep the Busey’s sign base, and have the neon redone to reflect the name change.
I have fond memories of working there!
Mike
September 7th, 2011 at 11:39 am
Ha Mike you have fond memories of working there and I have well memories of being a kid in the late 70’s sitting in the restaraunt booths after we had dinner there while my parents went into the bar to drink. Did I mention i am an only child?? So I would be bored beyond belief and probably miffed because i had to eat fish and chips from the kids menu and they got steak and lobster… hmmm.
April 9th, 2013 at 7:31 pm
anybody know the recipe for the marinated steak