The famous palm tree-shaped sign for downtown Toronto’s El Mocambo Tavern, last restored in 2012 by Hope Neon, is now being refurbished again by Pride Signs in Cambridge, Ont., before the music venue reopens under new ownership.
Crews removed the sign on Toronto’s Spadina Avenue, just south of College Street, on Wed., January 27, before moving it temporarily to Pride’s facilities. The company promises to restore it to its original brilliance with a combination of neon tubing and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Known colloquially as the El Mo, the tavern opened in 1948 and has survived a series of management changes over the years. It is now owned by banker and Dragons’ Den star Michael Wekerle.
