Feb 22, 2011

The JFG Sign Finds a New Home

The JFG Sign will once more be a welcoming beacon for Charlotte. Last night the Charlotte City Council unanimously approved the placement of the JFG Sign atop the VBGB Beer Hall & Garden located in the historic North Carolina Music Factory Complex, the city's premier music and entertainment destination.

"We're excited to be returning to Charlotte's skyline at last," said JFG Marketing Director Mary-Wanda Fandiño. "Heritage and tradition mean a lot to JFG Coffee. That's why our new home at the landmark Music Factory complex is an ideal location for our historic sign. We sincerely hope the people of Charlotte are happy about this location too."

The council's vote caps a lengthy search for a new site for the 40-year-old icon. In 2009, when Charlotte learned the JFG Coffee sign had to come down at its old location by the John Belk Freeway and Bank of America Stadium, there was an outpouring of support by the community to preserve the much-loved fixture.

"People responded in droves on our Facebook page," remembered Fandiño. "It was proof of the special place held by the sign in people's hearts. We wanted to do right by the people of Charlotte and return the sign to a comparable location. We're pleased by the prospect of our sign at NC Music Factory."

While the sign underwent refurbishment at the SignArt Company, JFG and the non-profit preservation organization Historic Charlotte, Inc. (HCI) partnered to start a new campaign. The Save Our Signs Fund (SOS) raised $13,200 to preserve other endangered vintage and landmark signs such as the Amity Gardens shopping center sign. The SOS Fund also enabled Historic Charlotte to work with the City's Zoning Department on a text amendment that will allow other vintage and landmark sign owners more flexibility when repurposing or relocating their vintage signs. The text amendment will alleviate the need for costly and time consuming rezoning of the placement of these signs.

"The campaign's results were fantastic," said HCI's Director Diane Althouse. "And Charlotte rallied to the challenge of saving Charlotte's unique roadside wonders. It is a great start to what we think will be a long-running program of preservation and stabilization for an important part of the Charlotte region's history."

Meanwhile, JFG is readying plans for erecting the sign at its new site. Plans call for it to be placed on top of VBGB Restaurant and Beer Garden located in the Music Factory complex. Crews will be working to put the sign up by May.

"A landmark sign has found a landmark property," said Music Factory developer Noah Lazes. "Thousands of people visit the Music Factory every year, and one of the first things greeting them will be the classic JFG Coffee sign. People have a lot of affection for it."

"It's a great fit," agreed Fandiño. "If JFG's 'the best part of the meal' then the Music Factory's 'the best part of the evening.' We're very glad to find a home there."

For more news and updates visit the JFG Facebook page at facebook.com/jfg.coffee.

About North Carolina Music Factory
The NC Music Factory is Charlotte's newest music and entertainment district. Find the best concerts, pubs, clubs, restaurants and more. For more information, please visit: NCMusicFactory.com.

About Historic Charlotte, Inc.
The mission of Historic Charlotte, Inc. is to promote historic preservation s throughout the greater Charlotte region. Historic Charlotte, Inc. is a registered North Carolina 501 (c)(3), not-for-profit organization established in 1991. For more information, please visit: www.HistoricCharlotte.org.

About Reily Foods Company
Established in 1902 as a southern coffee company, Reily Foods Company is a family-owned business offering high-quality products for more than 100 years. Based in New Orleans, one of the world's great culinary centers, Reily Foods manufactures and markets a wide range of quality food products sold in grocery stores and restaurants throughout the United States. In addition to JFG Coffee and JFG Mayonnaise, Reily Foods brands include Luzianne Tea, Blue Plate Mayonnaise, Swans Down Cake Flour, Wick Fowler's 2-Alarm and Carroll Shelby's Chili Kits, French Market Coffee, La Martinique Salad Dressings, Tiger Sauce, and No Pudge Fat Free Brownie mixes.

Categories: Community