The Hollywood Arby's sign

Top line:

Why is this important: Corrie Siegel, executive director of the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, told LAist that the sign resonated with many people, in part because it is an iconic marker of the area and a symbol of the face changing Hollywood.

Why now: Judy Sibelman, one of Mike and Marilyn Leviton's four children, said in Los Angeles that the lease expiring at the end of June was the main reason we had to go out of business, not the Californias. minimum wage increase for fast food workers.

The backstory: The Arbys, near the intersection of Tamarind Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, had been run by the Leviton family since 1969.

And after: We know the hat is a valued item and our office is committed to supporting local business owners and stakeholders so the Arbys Hat can remain on Sunset Blvd, a District 13 Council spokesperson said in a statement to LAist.

Go further: Learn more about the saga to save the sign on Sunset Boulevard.

Now that Arbys in Hollywood has closed after 55 years of serving roast beef sandwiches on Sunset Boulevard, some people are on a mission to save the towering 10-gallon neon sign from being torn down.

Corrie Siegel, executive director of the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, told LAist that the sign resonated with many people, in part because it is an iconic marker for the area and a symbol of the changing face of Hollywood.

I found out about the closing of the business just as the rest of the public found out and looked for ways to communicate with the family, the owner and the city council, and to talk to conservationists locals to determine what could be done. Siegel said.

How we got here

The Arbys, near the intersection of Tamarind Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, had been run by the Leviton family since 1969.

Judy Sibelman, one of Mike and Marilyn Leviton's four children, told LAist that they left everyone they knew in Illinois to move to California and build the restaurant from scratch.

My father liked to say that the business should have three important elements: location, location, location, she said.

And with a once-clear view of the Hollywood sign and neighboring studios filled with potential clients, the Arbys certainly had their site on their side.

But Sibelman said the financial problems began around 2019, when the restaurant was celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The owner they worked with for decades died and the family was granted the right of first refusal to buy the property, but she said none of us had $5 million to spare.

The new owner came in with a more difficult relationship and the family was able to renegotiate another lease, but only for five years. The owner did not immediately respond to LAist's request for comment.

This lease expiring at the end of June, combined with a drop in activity during the COVID pandemic and the Hollywood strikesIt was becoming increasingly clear that their days of beef and cheddar were coming to an end.

Sibelman said the lease was the main reason we had to file for bankruptcy, not California. minimum wage increase for fast food workers.

We don't consider ourselves victims of this at all, she said.

Sibelman began thinking about what would happen to the neon sign and contacted several organizations, including the Valley Relics Museum in Van Nuys and Museum of American Signs in Ohio, until she connected with a very empathetic Siegel and the Museum of Neon Art on Brand Boulevard.

What awaits us for the sign

For Siegel, the massive 10-gallon hat is more than just a sign. She said it's about community, family and the end of an era, because signs don't exist without people.

Neon signs are important because of the people they connect with, she said. And I think it's really important in any preservation context, or any civic context, to recognize that the meaning that comes from these signs is directly tied to the importance of the stories, the family stories, the stories of the people who worked in the businesses, and the stories of the communities that grew up around the sign.

But moving the massive exhibit would be a logistical feat, a scenario Siegel said he has had nightmares about. And because the family does not own the property, the preservation drive has been further complicated by a city ordinance that treats the facility as an asset to the owner, Sibelman said.

However, Siegel noted that it could be even better, as it is always in the museum's best interest to keep neon signage in the context in which it was created to convey history and act as an aesthetic beacon.

Some are now lobbying to keep the sign as is on Sunset Boulevard through the office of Councilman Hugo Soto-Martnez, whose 13th Ward includes Hollywood.

In a letter to Soto-Martnez reviewed by LAist, Sibelman urged the city to designate the sign as a historic cultural resource in honor of the community it has been a part of for so long.

We know the hat is a valued item and our office is committed to supporting local business owners and stakeholders so the Arbys Hat can remain on Sunset Blvd, a District 13 Council spokesperson said in a statement to LAist.

Siegel said the Arbys signing saga may bring up many feelings of loss, but she encourages people to continue supporting businesses they consider an integral part of their Los Angeles experience.

Take a break and go meet the people behind the signs, because that's really what I think people miss when this happens, she said. They miss the community that they didn't realize was quietly there all along.