Ingleside’s iconic Beep’s Burgers sign just got a refresh.
Local artist Neil Ballard and company and Beep’s Burgers owner Samantha Wong started planning the project last year with the goal of making it resist the fog. The sign had not been touched since 2015 and paint was starting to chip away.
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“The Beep’s Burgers sign is a giant cartoon on the street,” Ballard said. “It’s a cloud and a rocket and these fun super cool letters, that yellow curving arrow, everything about it is from the language of cartooning and from the visual language of mid-20th century commercial art, which is completely my inspiration for all the art that I do. Being able to work on a big cartoon in the physical world, in this space, it’s a dream project for me.”
Ballard worked with fellow artists Nathaniel Bice and Matt Stansell to complete the project. They used an epoxy primer that’s hydrophobic and tried to match the original shades of red, yellow, white and green using 1 Shot’s enamel paint to bring new life into the decades-old sign.
“I know Neil has been wanting to see the Beep's sign restored for a while as a point of neighborhood pride and it's been a lot of work for him to organize it to this point where we are actually doing it,” Bice, who has worked with Ballard on other neighborhood projects, said. “This project is particularly exciting for me because rather than just depicting the city, I'm getting to personally improve and restore a little part of it.”
The paint’s glossy finish helps the neon reflect more vibrantly. Oakland-based sign shop Peterson Neon helped with the removal and reinstallation of the neon. They have also helped with maintenance over the years and the crafting of the Beep’s rocket.
Nathaniel Bice and Neil Ballard work on the Beep's Burgers sign. | Anne Marie Kristoff/Ingleside Light
“One thing that has been fun about the project is the number of people who stop and talk with us while we are working on the sign and tell us they have been coming to Beep's since childhood,” said Shawna Peterson, the neon shop’s owner. “It sure is great to help keep it running and burning bright! It truly is a historical SF icon!”
Peterson also said that the neon appeared to be in good condition and reinstallation processes like this typically cost a few thousand dollars.
Much like residents in the area, the employees at Beep’s Burgers have also been looking forward to the revamped sign.
“I think it needed it,” Beep’s Burgers employee Asher Welch said. “It was looking pretty bad but I think it’s going to be nice once it’s all finished up.”
The neighborhood can see the completed sign at the Beep’s Burgers location on the 1000 block of Ocean Avenue.
Anne Marie Kristoff (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University's journalism program. She enjoys writing about the arts, entertainment and nature.
