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Chicago’s Oldest Working Neon Sign Auctioned for $17K

Buyer intends to repurpose the pre-war “Chop Suey” relic for a different restaurant.

Published

11 months ago

May 4, 2022

The familiar “Chop Suey” neon sign that advertises the Orange Garden restaurant in northwest Chicago was sold at auction for $17,000, Block Club Chicago reports.

The 10-ft. sign dates back at least to the early 1930s, the article says. It’s reportedly the Windy City’s oldest working neon sign, according to Preservation Chicago.

Ben Ruan, who manages the family-owned restaurant, said the sign had become more expensive to maintain due to city zoning regulations and rising permit fees. The auction, he said, was an opportunity to sell before a change in the city rules forced the family to take it down.

“The sign was getting older, it needed to be refurbished,” Ruan told the outlet. “We wanted to make sure it went to someone who appreciated that.”

The buyer intends to repurpose the sign for a different restaurant.

Read more at Block Club Chicago.

CALLING ALL CHICAGO PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Final days to shoot the Art Deco Orange Garden neon sign.

Reportedly Chicago’s oldest working neon sign.

To be sold at auction on 4/28

Opened in 1926, Orange Garden at 1942 W. Irving Park Rd is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/Fj2rOhjGkH

— Preservation Chicago: Love Your City Fiercely! (@Pres_Chicago) April 28, 2022
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