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Georgetown’s own Moby Dick Kabob. (Say that five times fast.) Thanks to Luz.
On-purpose weird business names
When you have no marketing budget, sometimes the best way to get the word out about your business is by giving it a ridiculous name. We’re pretty sure that’s what happened to these fine establishments.
From Kevin:
A Phillipsburg, Kansas restaurant found by Alyssa:
A guy who got tired of answering the question “what kind of stuff do you sell?” From Jocelyn:
More peculiarity from Pine Bluff:
A frozen yogurt place in Salt Lake (thanks Devora), whose motto appears to be “no spooning on Sundays!”
Bars
There seems to be a long-standing tradition of giving bizarre names to drinking establishments. Here are a few.
Nothing special about this Lancaster, Ohio saloon (thanks, Sheya):
Live nude cattle in Star Valley, Arizona. (Thanks, Susan.)
Both the name and logo of this business seem to celebrate drunk driving:
Just around the corner from the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City (thanks, Jessica):
Comments (185)
Comment
Kum & Go’s are all over Iowa - there a big attraction in Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.
posted by GetOnMyMap on 2-19-2008 at 11:03 am
Yep, there is a Kum & Go on almost every main street here in Des Moines. You can really tell how old that pic is, look at how much the gas is!!
posted by Leslie on 2-19-2008 at 11:12 am
I had a pic of a Kum&Go here in Montana, but they are just so ridiculous i knew someone else would already have covered it.
posted by kirsten on 2-19-2008 at 11:17 am
When I first moved to Iowa, I couldn’t believe that someone actually named their business Kum & Go. I still can’t bring myself to actually stop there.
posted by Kevin on 2-19-2008 at 11:24 am
I’ve seen the Kum and Go in Iowa, but the truly full service station is in Minnesota; the Pump and Munch.
posted by Anne on 2-19-2008 at 11:28 am
Bunghole.
You have to know, it is right in the warf district of Salem, The plug that keeps the grog in the barrel is the bunghole, It’s not all that out of context when you see it in person~
Although, Ted Gay always gets a laugh out of it.
posted by Joe on 2-19-2008 at 11:36 am
I meant to get a picture, but in the category of “just because it’s your name…” we have a “Badcock Furniture & More.” The word furniture is much smaller than the others, so from a distance, it just looks like it says “Badcock & More.”
What “More” could anyone want?
posted by Karen on 2-19-2008 at 11:46 am
Haha these are all great. Asians are notorious for selling random things together. A store not too far from where my parents live sells purified water and DVDs!
posted by CK on 2-19-2008 at 12:07 pm
I lived in Gilbert AZ for a couple years, wish I had taken a photo of this one mini mall: From left to right it had a tackle store (with horse on the roof), a large animal vet, a BBQ by the lb. place, and then a feed store. So I guess if the horse wouldn’t ride or the cow wouldn’t eat, bring them to the vet… and if that failed, cook and sell to the public.
posted by kdub on 2-19-2008 at 12:15 pm
There’s a convenience store chain in New Orleans called Wagner’s. Their slogan (located on all of their signs) is “You can’t beat Wagner’s meat!”
posted by Allison on 2-19-2008 at 12:20 pm
Here in San Antonio (near the Balcones Heights area) we have the I Don’t Know Yet Bar, which spawned the following conversation a few years back:
Me: Do you have any ideas for going out tonight?
Friend: I Don’t Know Yet
Me: Ok, hmmm. How about the Flying Saucer?
Friend: No, its called the I Don’t Know Yet Bar
Me: Oh . . .
Also, a store in Belleville, Illinois, screamed to be photographed, but I never take my camera anywhere. It was called the Infant and Toddler Resale Shop. Cracked me up every time I drove past it. :-)
And who can forget the KidsExchange?
posted by nutmeag on 2-19-2008 at 12:23 pm
Yes! The Pump n Munch! I’ve been there.
I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of this, but my entry would have been Do Me Nails here in Minneapolis.
posted by Julia on 2-19-2008 at 12:25 pm
In Calgary AB Canada, for a long while there was an adult establishment “Just for Lovers” adjacent to a dog grooming business “Doggie Style”, which made for rather amusing signage
posted by Paula on 2-19-2008 at 12:32 pm
Every time i visit Jamestown, NY, on the western end of New York state, I pass two adjoining businesses: Al’s Adult Videos and Al’s Bait.
posted by Paul on 2-19-2008 at 12:48 pm
I used to go out all the time with friends of mine who went to Purdue. We went to a bar named “Where Else.” And close to where I now live in Indianapolis, there is a bar named “That Place in Greenwood.” I love places with have crazy names.
My friends and I did a road trip and discovered the Kum & Go. We thought it was so funny it was the only place we would stop for gas if we could help it. Still makes me giggle like a little girl.
posted by Jill on 2-19-2008 at 1:00 pm
My all-time favorite business name is a store in Laconia, NH that sells vacuum cleaners and sewing machines. It’s called…
wait for it…
Vacman and Bobbin.
posted by David on 2-19-2008 at 1:05 pm
In London Ontario we have “Lovers, New and Used” furniture stores. All their signs have the furniture part in much smaller lettering. It makes me giggle when I drive by it on my way home from work.
posted by Lisa H on 2-19-2008 at 1:09 pm
In Buffalo, NY, there is the Amigone Funeral Homes chain. Not much more to be said about that one, except that one would hope the answer is yes.
posted by Matt on 2-19-2008 at 1:20 pm
There used to be a liquor store in town called, “Dicks” liquor. I wish I had gotten a picture of it before it closed down!
posted by Tracy C. on 2-19-2008 at 1:22 pm
I live in a town called Savage. We have Savage Chiropractic, Savage Police, Savage Library, and Savage Barber. We used to have the Savage Elementary until some parents complained that kids might be afraid to go to school, so, sadly, it was changed to M. W. Savage Elementary.
posted by SaraLuna on 2-19-2008 at 1:32 pm
in Des Moines, we also have Git n Go convenience stores, many of which are located not too far from the Kum and Go ones.
posted by E K on 2-19-2008 at 1:47 pm
Check out the Master bait & tackle store in Bonita Springs, FL - they probably make more $$$ off of selling stuff with their name on it than actual tackle…
posted by Jaclyn on 2-19-2008 at 1:50 pm
We used to call the Kum & Go, “Ejaculate and Evacuate.”
posted by Jessi on 2-19-2008 at 2:00 pm
There’s a store in Old Town Santa Fe, New Mexico called “Beads and Fetish”. Well, its a beading store but I’ve YET to see any fetish on the shelves! haahah
posted by Ashley on 2-19-2008 at 2:16 pm
I used to laugh at places like discount caskets, but there was one right across the street from the funeral home where my father was burried.
Comparing prices and selection from in the funeral home to discount caskets I must say it should be criminal the way funeral home directors take advantage of your grief by charging hundreds more than they need to for the same caskets and coffins.
posted by Witty Nickname on 2-19-2008 at 2:25 pm
I didn’t get a chance to get a photo of it for you, but there is a salon near my home called “Flava in ya hair”.
posted by Sara on 2-19-2008 at 3:13 pm
@ Ashley: Fetishes are small Native American carvings of animals with special blessings & prayers bestowed upon them. They usually are carved from semi-precious stones.
There used to be a convenience store in Clermont County OH, I think it was called Jimmie’s, which isn’t a bad business name, but their sign prominently said “We have worms!” I really hope they meant bait.
posted by Amy on 2-19-2008 at 3:18 pm
I wish that I’d gotten a picture of this when I was on vacation this summer.
It was a pet spa called “Dirty Dogs Done Dirt Cheap”.
posted by Mike on 2-19-2008 at 3:23 pm
In taunton massachusetts there is a chinese restaurant called the big wong. Always a pleasure to drive by.
Also, not as funny, but worth mentioning, there is a store called trucchis, and their slogan was “your true key to savings”, probably because none knew how to pronounce the name. Growing up i thought it was truckies
posted by john on 2-19-2008 at 3:42 pm
There’s a hair salon in Oakland called “Nappy or Not”. Makes me laugh every time I see it.
There was also a liquor store in Modesto CA called The Liqour Locker. Used to go there just so we could say the name of it.
posted by cherrybomb16 on 2-19-2008 at 3:42 pm
this is in a small town in northern california. under the “strange pairings” category.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/ilietomymommy/IM000693.jpg
posted by Kelly on 2-19-2008 at 3:58 pm
Moby dick is a pretty well known chain in DC but can anyone explain to me what is so funny about its name? I never quite understood what a restaurant that sells middle-eastern cuisine has to do with a fictional whale but it never got me to giggle about it.
On the other hand I thought it humorously fitting that the Moby Dick’s in Silver Spring MD is situated right next to a Starbucks but I imagine that goes right over the heads of most pedestrians
posted by joman on 2-19-2008 at 4:01 pm
Who could forget the Austin Peel & Son Funeral home. Say it out loud with me, boys and girls - peel and son funeral home. It just sounds awful. I specifically told my family that I did not want to have my services there for fear of hide tanning procedures.
posted by Larena on 2-19-2008 at 4:08 pm
There’s a place in Beaumont, Texas called S&M Family Outlet. I believe they sell furniture.
posted by BKReporter on 2-19-2008 at 4:24 pm
Here in Northwest Florida we have a restaurant that serves southern cooking/barbeque, and thai food…. mmm barbeque fried rice….
posted by Kaydee on 2-19-2008 at 4:27 pm
Gah! I live in Newark and I can’t believe Analtech didn’t immediately come to mind when I read about this category. Every time I pass that sign I laugh!
posted by emul on 2-19-2008 at 5:19 pm
The girls from Newark didn’t send a photo showing the company directly across the road from Analtech: Case Erection Co.
It isn’t terribly funny on its own, but paired with Analtech…
posted by Andiscandis on 2-19-2008 at 5:43 pm
In Norman, OK there is a small strip mall that has the most humorous grouping of businesses that I have ever seen. There is a mattress store, Christy’s Toybox (adult toys) and a Planned Parenthood. Makes me laugh every time…
posted by Nicole on 2-19-2008 at 5:55 pm
This wasn’t intentional (I don’t think), and might be a separate category, but for YEARS right off of Interstate 40 in Greensboro, NC there was a very tall (and very visible - Big Red NEON letters) HOWARD JOHNSON hotel that ALWAYS had the O and W in the 1st word burnt out.
posted by kary on 2-19-2008 at 6:42 pm
are kum and go’s a bastard cousin of the infamous loaf and jug? both are all over the west and it seems like a family business where the younger dumber brother got stuck with a bunch of kum and go’s.
posted by five cent whiskey on 2-19-2008 at 6:54 pm
How did I miss this again? Here in Memphis there’s a sub-division called Morningwood. There’s also a hair salon called Curl up and Dye. I always giggle when I pass them.
posted by christina on 2-19-2008 at 8:16 pm
I remember across from trinity university in dublin a shop called “Knobs and Knockers” i wish i had seen this earlier it is one of my favorite pictures of ireland.
posted by brian on 2-19-2008 at 8:18 pm
It’s not a pun or anything, but in my hometown there is a large manufacturing plant that says “Bunzl Extrusion.” We always laughed when we drove by. Bunzl Extrusion sounds like some horrible operation or some type of bowel malfunction!
/is 27 now
/still thinks that is hilarious.
posted by Rose on 2-19-2008 at 8:58 pm
Seeing Moby Dick’s makes me miss D.C.
Tom Raper RVs does NOT make me miss driving through Indiana. Those things are everywhere!
In Seattle now, nothing is coming to mind…
posted by Anne on 2-19-2008 at 9:00 pm
I’m so used to seeing Kum n Go its not even funny to me anymore…I was surprised to see it here. I don’t live in Waterloo anymore, but if I did I would have submitted a pic from Dick Withum Ford, in Cedar Falls and Waterloo, IA. Not making that up.
posted by Capn Grace on 2-19-2008 at 10:20 pm
in richmond, bc, there’s a chinese supermarket called “big crazy”
posted by Ava on 2-19-2008 at 10:34 pm
In Philadelphia, there is a Chinese restaurant called Red Central.
In Newark, DE there is a chicken place in the vicinity of the University of Delaware called Cluck U.
In Duluth, Minnesota a Christian radio station broadcasts mere blocks from Planned Parenthood.
posted by Thomas on 2-19-2008 at 11:23 pm
That place in Shreveport is a bug exterminator! I can’t believe it doesn’t specify that!
posted by Michelle on 2-19-2008 at 11:38 pm
The next town over from where a frien lives in PA, the town bought a park. They named it
Weowna Park
(we own a park)
posted by KG2V on 2-19-2008 at 11:44 pm
Just outside of Victoria, BC is my favourite ‘we’ve got it all’ store in the world: Laughing Llama II. To the best of my knowledge, there has never been a Laughing Llama I.
posted by Heather on 2-19-2008 at 11:44 pm
Up in New Jersey I was driving god knows where and came across a hotel unfortunately named after an indian tribe native to the area, named the “Tuckahoe Inn.”
posted by Jeff on 2-19-2008 at 11:45 pm
lol, I live in Southern Indiana…Tom Raper’s RV does really loud, obnoxious commercials as well….
posted by Jeff on 2-20-2008 at 12:05 am
the Mandall’s Shooting Supply sign (teddy bear with the automatic rifle) is still up today! In south Scottsdale. I drive past it every day to work. It’s in a pretty popular area, too!
posted by Phil Renaud on 2-20-2008 at 12:15 am
Ah yes, Anne, the pump n’ munch. First think I thought of when I saw this thread. There is one I came across in Kansas City too. Whodathunk it?
posted by A. Day on 2-20-2008 at 12:21 am
i have been to Master Bait & Tackle in FL and yes they make a fortune in t-shirts! and it always made me giggle!
i now live in Ventura, CA and we have some funny (depending on your sense of humor) thrift stores…
The Retarded Children’s Thrift store &
The Child Abuse and Neglect Thrift Store
i’m not kidding.
K
posted by cms on 2-20-2008 at 12:28 am
I remember driving from Louisville to Nashville and seeing “Nervous Larry’s Liquor and Fireworks”
Good times. good times.
posted by Homer on 2-20-2008 at 12:40 am
In southeast kansas there is a Master Bait and Liquor Gas station.
posted by bb on 2-20-2008 at 1:04 am
Tom Raper has numerous signs, my favorite being:
You’re entering Raper Country
posted by andrew on 2-20-2008 at 1:13 am
For what it’s worth, drive-through liquour shops are very popular in Australia
posted by Pete on 2-20-2008 at 1:16 am
I bought a table set from stupid prices, there is actually very nice stuff in there. Still a dumb name though.
posted by mackenzie on 2-20-2008 at 1:24 am
If you are in china town in Las Vegas, there is a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Kim Longs.
posted by Chewy on 2-20-2008 at 1:36 am
the last one is now named Crazy Goat Saloon and is a strip club.
posted by nap on 2-20-2008 at 1:47 am
Moby Dick’s is an awesome kabob chain in Washington DC.
The 1 in G’town is absolutely top notch.
Gotta go w/ extra bread, hummus & 1/5 of frank’s red hot on the chicken platter….you won’t forget it!
posted by Ahab on 2-20-2008 at 1:58 am
That business in Phoenix with the teddy bear on the guns/ammo store sign is still there today. It’s every bit as weird and big as it looks.
And that big steer from the Star Valley picture can be found in several places around the state, oddly enough.
posted by lala on 2-20-2008 at 2:07 am
In Spokane Washington, there used to be a hair salon, called: Curl Up & Dye and there used to be a Chinese Restaurant called Gung Ho . I believe both are defunct now, though.
posted by David Rochlin on 2-20-2008 at 2:41 am
In Salem Oregon we have a beer/wine/cigarette/tobacco store called “Habits” (click name to see.) There used to be a video rental here called “RENT A FLICK,” with all letters in a bold block font, like Impact, and with the letters a little too close together. So imagine what the third word looked like. I did many double-takes while driving past that sign.
posted by Habits on 2-20-2008 at 2:46 am
@ Tracy C.
Your in Wichita Falls ain’t ya? Yeah buddy, I took a pic of “Dick’s liquor” on my old cell when my wife was at Sheppard AFB. No service on the phone anymore though… sucks…
posted by Tim G on 2-20-2008 at 3:51 am
I’ve always been a fan of the Chicken Cabaret in NYC. The sign has a chicken dressed up in fishnet hose!
posted by Ben on 2-20-2008 at 6:07 am
Here in Florida and Georgia, we have a wing restaurant named “Dick’s.” Their slogan is “I Love Dick’s.” You can even get it on a t-shirt.
posted by Will on 2-20-2008 at 6:34 am
I walk past a truck on my way to work every morning. Proudly emblazoned on the side?
“MEH Engineering”
It makes me giggle more than it should.
posted by onslaught86 on 2-20-2008 at 7:01 am
Whan I worked in Ireland, between Carlow and Dublin I always drove by a sign “Stealaway Nursery”. Always cracked me up.
posted by Andri on 2-20-2008 at 7:44 am
I have a pic or an establishment called: STEAK AND ROBSTER its from okinawa, japan…
too funny
posted by Sam on 2-20-2008 at 7:45 am
My wife grew up in Oklahoma, right on the State Line from Arkansas. The county she lived in was dry, but right up the road, in Arkansas was a butcher/liquor store actually called,
“Beacher Meat & Liquor”. Cracked her up everytime she passed the store!
posted by Tim on 2-20-2008 at 8:28 am
I’ve been meaning to get a T-Shirt from “Stoner Drugs” which is located just south of Council Bluffs, IA.
posted by Joel on 2-20-2008 at 8:34 am
My fave, and another place that makes a ton from t-shirts and key chains, is Beaver Liquors in Beaver Creek, CO
posted by newman on 2-20-2008 at 8:36 am
That Stuff Mart sign gave me a laugh, but you’ve got to know it’s not original. There’s a Christian kids’ video series called VeggieTales (starring, what else; vegetables); one of the videos, Madame Blueberry, features StuffMart, with its own PR guys (veggies) that sing a rap song about it. Funny stuff!
Of course, it’s on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQkdY_7Pet0
posted by Dave on 2-20-2008 at 8:40 am
There used to be a manufacturer in Richmond VA called “Sterile Concepts”. Cracked us up every time we drove by. We weren’t the only ones, I guess — they’ve changed their name. Or at least their sign.
posted by Liza Jane on 2-20-2008 at 8:43 am
there’s a place in rural georgia that i pass on the way home from school that sells caskets and used books… odd?
posted by meredith on 2-20-2008 at 8:45 am
I’m in analytical chemistry, and somewhere along the line someone decided that analytical should always be abbreviated “anal”. I’m sure the people at AnalTech love reading the journal Anal. Chem
posted by Dr. Fuss on 2-20-2008 at 9:09 am
This is just one of those times when I should have taken a picture but didn’t. I was in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida this weekend, and passed a huge sign for a diamond store. The ad read, “Chi Wow Her!” with a picture of a chihuahua next to it. A strange, strange, world we live in! hehe :)
posted by Amy on 2-20-2008 at 9:24 am
In central NJ, along Rt. 287 there is a business called Tingley Rubber Products. Cracked me up since I was a kid….
posted by Mark on 2-20-2008 at 9:26 am
the Tom Raper RVs killed me
posted by MDC on 2-20-2008 at 9:26 am
In my hometown in northern Indiana there used to be a sign that said:
MYERS
POPCORN
CARMEL CORN
PEANUT BRITTLE
SEPTIC SERVICE
Ewww…
posted by Mary on 2-20-2008 at 9:49 am
In Atlanta we have an Indian restaurant called Samrat. Everyone calls it Sam’s Rat.
There is a Vietnamese restaurant called MyDung.
Both have good food, if you can ignore the names.
posted by randy on 2-20-2008 at 9:59 am
Driving up 14th Street in Washington, DC, I always pass by a bank called WTF Credit Union, or WTFCU. WTF? Smart choice.
posted by Kara on 2-20-2008 at 10:00 am
Just down the road from Fort Knox KY just a ways use to be a restaurant called Fu Kim Buffet
Really wish I had a pic of that sign I could send in.
posted by Danny Boy on 2-20-2008 at 10:26 am
In Vancouver BC there used to be a pho restauraunt called Pho Bich Nga
posted by Mike on 2-20-2008 at 10:41 am
In Louisville, KY we have “Cox Smokers” tobacco shops.
posted by Ben on 2-20-2008 at 10:43 am
I have a picture of the other side of that same teddy-with-gun sign from our trip to Phoenix a couple of summers ago! Won a Washington Post “Travel” paperweight for sending it in to them.
posted by Arielle in NoVA on 2-20-2008 at 11:00 am
Is that the old Superbad King of Fashion in Charleston? I loved their coordinated pimp gear!
posted by Martha on 2-20-2008 at 11:07 am
Ah….98 cent Gas
posted by Ben on 2-20-2008 at 11:15 am
In Portland, OR there was a restaurant named Hung Farlow. I used to have a picture of it. The name caused a big group of us silly college students to try it out.
posted by jill on 2-20-2008 at 11:33 am
T&A Supply is actually owned by a friend of mine.
They’ve been in business about 50 years (now in the second generation) and they sell things like hinges and storm windows for the construction industry. They are wholesale only. “T&A” stands for “Trim and Accessories” and, back in 1955 when the business was founded, “T&A” meant nothing else. We give him a hard time and I’m still bugging him for a “T&A Supply” ball cap (He has them) but he won’t give me one…
posted by raoul on 2-20-2008 at 11:42 am
the all-time classic Chinese joint in Portland - “Hung Far Low”. tons of google images of their signs.
posted by neckbone rob on 2-20-2008 at 11:43 am
right by woodfield mall in illinois there’s a korean hair cutting place called “best head”. i’m far away in iowa (home of the kum & go!) so i don’t have a pic.
posted by Mike on 2-20-2008 at 12:25 pm
Id like to one up the chinese food and donuts restraunt with “Chinese Food, Donuts AND Burgers”
www.projectgsx.com/pics/events/pomona112799/p_break2.jpg
posted by ProjectGSX on 2-20-2008 at 12:27 pm
I’m pretty damn sure that’s the Kum & Go from here in Fargo ND. I’ll be driving by in just a few moments and take a look.
posted by Tyler Paul on 2-20-2008 at 12:34 pm
There is a bakery in Ames called “Dutch Oven Bakery”.
posted by Shawn on 2-20-2008 at 12:56 pm
Here in Baltimore there is a bar called “Dick’s Halfway Inn” sorry i didnt get a picture
posted by Jason on 2-20-2008 at 1:08 pm
There used to be a hair salon in Lansing, Mi called “Curl up & dye!”
posted by Dean on 2-20-2008 at 1:09 pm
Beaver Liquors in Beaver Creek Colorado
posted by Paddy on 2-20-2008 at 1:10 pm
there is a laundrette in coventry, england called ‘wish you wash here’ and I think i’t closed down now but we had the ’shoepermarket’ (sells shoes!)
posted by josh on 2-20-2008 at 1:12 pm
There is a place located in downtown portland in chinatown called “hung far low” it’s a pretty famous around portland.
posted by Erin on 2-20-2008 at 1:15 pm
Dit-diddley-dee the dog {the child molesting dog}
posted by nana on 2-20-2008 at 1:15 pm
That’s the Kum & Go from fargo ND.
***img247.imageshack.us/img247/4217/0220081245sa5.jpg
(replace the *** with “h t t p : / /”)
They’ve changed a lot from when the picture was taken,
In the original you can see a bright sign hanging for Taco Johns off the street lamp. It’s the building you can see in the background. That building has be rebuilt.
Camelot Cleaners has closed down.
You can see the row of garages on the left side of each picture. You can also compare the locations of the street lamp to the Kum & Go sign.
posted by Tyler Paul on 2-20-2008 at 1:21 pm
Sherrill’s Eat Here and Get Gas is a few miles south of Kokomo, IN. Very funny, but done on purpose.
I live in Indianapolis and there’s a place called ‘Bush Whackers II’. I have no idea what they do there.
posted by Levi on 2-20-2008 at 1:35 pm
that is funny that you wrote tyler! i was just thinking that looks like the one on 13th to myself as i was reading that! too funny. i think the last time i saw gas that cheap there was when i was in college back in ‘93. man am i old…also notice the lack of building there where little caesar’s is today?
posted by mitch on 2-20-2008 at 1:51 pm
In Lake City, FL there is a Fu King chinese restaurant.
posted by Me on 2-20-2008 at 1:54 pm
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the infamous town of Gay, Michigan, and their local bar, named after the town.
posted by Josh Haldeman on 2-20-2008 at 1:56 pm
Not sure if this one is one here as I didn’t read them all, but there is a gas station up by Toronto that made me make 3 left turns across traffic so I could fill up and have the receipt for my expense account….You have to like Beaver Gas……
posted by Mark on 2-20-2008 at 1:57 pm
My absolute favorite is the FAG Bearings plant in Joplin, Missouri. Just driving down the interstate, I almost pooped myself.
I can’t link to it, but do a search on webshots.com for “FAG Bearings”.
posted by RJ on 2-20-2008 at 2:27 pm
did you realize there are 69 photos on the flickr page?
(couldn’t resist) :P
posted by Korin on 2-20-2008 at 2:30 pm
You missed the Curl Up and Dye Salon in East Ridge, TN. Not to mention the Rusty Duck bar in Chattanooga.
posted by Joel on 2-20-2008 at 2:43 pm
In Hong Kong, if you get off at a station called Fo Tan and walk a little ways, you may pass a hair salon with a sign for a “dick cut”. I want to assume it’s a cut style…as opposed to something else…
posted by Gee on 2-20-2008 at 2:45 pm
At the Jersey shore there’s a crabhouse named Dirty Dicks’s…their slogan is “I got my crabs from Dirty Dick’s”
In Quakertown, PA there’s a chinese restaurant named “House of Wang”.
In Warrington, Pa theres a flooring supply place called “Let’s get stoned”.
posted by tom on 2-20-2008 at 2:51 pm
In my hometown of Amarillo, TX -
The Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors
posted by Grant on 2-20-2008 at 3:02 pm
I wish I had a picture of the “Hit n’ Run Liquor Store” in New Orleans to submit.
posted by Adam on 2-20-2008 at 3:09 pm
How do you go through life with your last name being Raper? We shouldn’t pick on him, I’m sure he’s had a hard enough life.
Mr. Raper. Man oh man.
posted by Hollywood Jack on 2-20-2008 at 3:11 pm
There are alot of funny vietnamese restaurants in Vancouver where I live… a few are “Pho Phuc Lai” and “Pho Bich Nga”
posted by Dave on 2-20-2008 at 3:12 pm
There’s a bar near me called Somewhere Else.
- Jess
posted by Jess on 2-20-2008 at 3:16 pm
There used to be a gas station in Lincoln, Nebraska called Pump ‘n Munch…maybe it’s the cousin of Kum & Go??????? I’m not sure if it’s there anymore.
posted by Tom on 2-20-2008 at 3:23 pm
In Mason City, Iowa, there is a milk production plant with the initials AMPI. Here’s what the logo on the sign looks like (sorry, don’t have a photo): www.adpi.org/up_images/AMPI.jpg
Ever since I was little I’ve always called it “A Cow Pi.”
posted by Rua on 2-20-2008 at 3:46 pm
StuffMart. We got some real good stuff.
Haha.
posted by siguario on 2-20-2008 at 4:13 pm
There is a restarurant in Florida, one in Destin & one in Ft. Walton, named FudPucker’s. Their slogan is: “Ya ain’t been pucked till ya been fudpucked!” I manage to screw it up every time I say it!!!!
posted by Amanda on 2-20-2008 at 4:13 pm
I love the couple of funeral homes in my area named Beers & Story. That’s the founders’ names, but I think it sounds like a pretty good funeral.
posted by Rogue on 2-20-2008 at 4:31 pm
I used to live in Kokomo, Indiana, and yes, Sherill’s Eat Here & Get Gas is absolutely on purpose. :)
There’s also a restaurant west of town called the Sanitary Lunch. Always seemed like damning with faint praise to me.
posted by Grant on 2-20-2008 at 4:48 pm
yeahh def missin dc/md cause of that moby dick’s pic. but i didn’t get that reference either.
anyways, i went up to chinatown in nyc and there’s a restaurant there called “the new big wang”. pics are on my cell phone but i don’t have bluetooth to transfer it. the place is right across the street from this really great ice cream place that’s apparently pretty infamous.
posted by Jewelz on 2-20-2008 at 7:16 pm
There was a chinese food distributor in Waltham, Mass. Named “Yah Kee” Tofu. You got that right!!!
posted by rick on 2-20-2008 at 7:30 pm
I live about 5 miles from Stuff Mart, it’s in Cave Springs, AR. Unfortunately it closed down about 6 months ago, and their stuff was crappy.
posted by Matt on 2-20-2008 at 7:31 pm
I sent in a few pics, but I didn’t manage to get a picture of a bar in Kansas call “Dick’s of Mankato.”
posted by Alyssa on 2-20-2008 at 8:03 pm
A couple beer/wine stores, and a tackle shop for you with unique names:
Liquor Box in Calgary, AB
Stop N’ Liquor (used to be in WA)
Masterbaiter Tackle in Oklahoma City
posted by Mike on 2-20-2008 at 8:17 pm
There’s a place here called “Ms. Carries Day Care” its one of the biggest daycares in town.
posted by Tesuansey on 2-20-2008 at 8:33 pm
In Tiltonsville, OH, there is (or used to be) a bar called ‘The Fagarwe’ (I think this is how it was spelled). Pronounced Fa-gar-we. Legend has it that it has this odd name because, in a sheer state of intoxication, one might ask “Where the f*ck are we?”…and that sounds like “We’re at the Fagarwe”.
posted by Casey on 2-20-2008 at 9:20 pm
In North Bay On, there used to be a strip club located next door to ” The Bible Store”
posted by kent on 2-20-2008 at 9:31 pm
In Ontario there is a small town called Beaton. A fine market to get great steaks and chops is easily located by the sign
…Beaton Meats…
posted by pete on 2-20-2008 at 9:49 pm
Indianapolis:
I came across a dry cleaner in the phone book called “Drop Your Pants and Jacket Off Here.”
No kidding.
Yes, and they sing that jingle here on TV with such cheer, “Save today Tom Raper’s Way!”
posted by Padge on 2-20-2008 at 10:22 pm
hey i live in Salt Lake and ii have to say that despite the name “Spoon Me” is really good. btw “no spooning on sundays” well what do you expect its in UTAH!!!!! :)
posted by jeremy on 2-21-2008 at 12:32 am
Lots more funny business names: www.funnyname.com
posted by Funny Name on 2-21-2008 at 4:06 am
Here in southern Indiana we have a place called S&M Bait & Tackle.
And in French Lick Indiana the liquor store is called French Liquors.
posted by teri on 2-21-2008 at 7:28 am
In Brazil I once visited a city called Montenegro in the south where they had 2 interesting names for motels (motels in Brazil are used as 1,2-hour rooms to have intimate moments).
One of them was called “It’s up to you”, and the other was something like “I don’t know”. Two obvious answers when you ask a girl where she wants to go after that beer.
posted by Lucas on 2-21-2008 at 9:53 am
A liquor store in Oklahoma transposed two letters in its name, the “UO” in liquor, to reflect the local university’s initials. I chuckle every time I drive by Campus LiqOURS.
posted by Barry on 2-21-2008 at 11:21 am
Tom Raper RV is in Richmond, IN, not Iowa. It might only be marginally better, but lets be accurate.
posted by bob smith on 2-21-2008 at 12:41 pm
ive been to both the Kum N Go and
Pump N Munch…i would have to say the Pump N Munch has better eats…
posted by Chad on 2-21-2008 at 12:50 pm
Seeing the Guns & Ammo BBQ sing made me nostalgic. I grew up down the street from there, it was probably one of my favorite things, ha. I was sad when they tore it down.
posted by E.A. on 2-21-2008 at 1:10 pm
And rumor has it that at least one of these businesses actually hired a naming company. (If you guess right, I’ll tell you, but better do it by e-mail.)
posted by Sallie Goetsch on 2-21-2008 at 6:12 pm
Killer for Hire, that’s funny, I used to pass by that sign all the time, when I lived in Shreveport. Funny thing, at first I was like.. wtf? Then I realized it -was- a bug extinction store.
posted by Kasey on 2-21-2008 at 6:46 pm
Ha ha! I live near a Tom Rapers :P
I always thought it was a bad name
posted by bill on 2-22-2008 at 11:28 am
Beaver Creek, CO… I swear to gods…
“Beaver Liquors”
posted by robbei on 2-22-2008 at 8:09 pm
There’s a vespa store in MPLS called scooterville. one night I was at the light and looked over. The “s” was blocked by a lamp-post. Heh heheh… cooterville.
posted by IJ on 2-22-2008 at 9:36 pm
Up here in Alaska there’s a place situated at the halfway point on a long highway called “Skinny Dick’s Halfway Inn”. Also a small construction co. called Berner And Family Construction, except on the biz card it’s written as an acronym
B.A.R.F. Construction. Slogan “Let us throw up your home”
In Fairbanks AK, there’s a “Ding Ho Cleaners” I’ve always snickered at, wondering if they specialize in rectal bleaching or something.
posted by ben on 2-22-2008 at 9:38 pm
In Spokane, WA there is (was) a restaurant called “Dewy, Cheatum & Howe”,in Libby, MT there is a store that sells hunting rifles and cross stitch supplies- “The Stitch N Shoot”
and in Newtown, PA there used to be a butcher shop called “Tingly Meat”. Yikes!
posted by Gypsydancer on 2-23-2008 at 1:50 am
In South Africa there is a chain of Christian bookstores called “CUM Boeke” (”boeke” being Afrikaans for “books”). There is also a chain of coffee shops called “Bimbo’s.”
Both provided a bit of culture shock for me on my first visit!
posted by Sweet Violet on 2-23-2008 at 2:05 am
Tom Raper has put hundreds of those billboards up along the major highways in Indiana… and for that reason alone I try to avoid driving through Indiana whenever I’m going cross-country.
posted by Willerz on 2-23-2008 at 10:26 am
I used to go to Moby Dick’s Kabob place when I lived in Northern Virginia. They have a couple of locations.
Nice place to eat actually. Good prices, great food.
posted by Matt on 2-23-2008 at 11:13 am
In the early ’90s in Council Bluffs, Iowa, there was a Hand Job Car Wash. It was good while it lasted.
posted by jmc on 2-23-2008 at 11:16 am
From Richfield, Ohio:
Superior Erection Company
posted by TSchooner on 2-23-2008 at 11:24 am
Stuff Mart figures prominently in a Veggie Tales video, Madame Blueberry”. There is a song called “Stuff Mart Rap” (video available on You Tube). When I lived in Phoenix, I referred to Fry’s electronic warehouse as Stuff Mart, the same way they say it in the video.
posted by Bb on 2-23-2008 at 11:47 am
In Colorado there was a car shop/inspection place called Grease Monkey. Their slogan was “Emissions while you wait.”
I always thought that was funny, but no one else seemed to get it.
posted by Bubba on 2-23-2008 at 12:11 pm
Unfortunately that’s not Charleston’s Super Bad (”The King of Fashions- New York Styles for Men and Boys”), as it’s not on the corner.
However, they are still running their eight piece suit package special, so you don’t need to buy your tie pin and handerkerchief separately.
Who knew- could they be a chain?
posted by SmooveB on 2-23-2008 at 12:25 pm
When I lived in Honolulu about 25 years ago, there was a business called “AA Medical & Party Supplies”
posted by Bandicoot on 2-23-2008 at 1:44 pm
Our liquor store is Romeo’s Liquor Chest. To everyone’s surprise, there’s a picture of a chest on the sign.
Albany was famous for Gentile’s Floor Covering, right next to Jewish World Publications.
posted by Jimbo on 2-23-2008 at 2:18 pm
Saw a sign once in Chattanooga, TN that almost made me drive off the road. I’m not there to take a photo, but I found a Flickr shot via Google:
www.flickr.com/photos/david-benton/2249247162/
posted by Mateo on 2-23-2008 at 4:36 pm
I’m thinkin Arby’s.
posted by Rusty Shackleford on 2-23-2008 at 10:11 pm
In Lincoln, NE there is (or was) an antique store called “Things and Stuff”…I thought it was cute :-)
posted by Becky on 2-24-2008 at 12:10 pm
In Carnew, Co. Wexford in Ireland there’s a hairdressers called ” Curl Up and Dye “
posted by Kieran on 2-24-2008 at 2:19 pm
In Grand Junction, CO, about 3 hours from my home, there was a truck stop owned by a person named “Gay Johnson.” I can’t imagine if he (she?) didn’t start going by his middle name later in life, but the sign is still up, I imagine.
posted by Rees on 2-25-2008 at 12:32 am
Gresham, OR, my hometown, has a Chinese restaurant called “Hung Far Lo.”
posted by Dreww on 2-25-2008 at 1:49 am
In Paris, Ontario there is a family run place called Butcher’s Funeral Home (shudder)
And I always thought it was funny that in London, Ontario the Famous Flesh Gordons (bar) was in the same plaza as the BunsMaster (bakery)!
posted by MsGuinevere on 2-25-2008 at 9:33 am
In Atlantic City, NJ, on the boardwalk, there used to be a small restaurant run by some indians. Their sign out front had a picture of an ice cream cone on it. Below that were the words “Fried Chicken”.
posted by Andy on 2-25-2008 at 12:14 pm
Relatively new to Massachusetts, and I laughed so hard the first time I saw Bunghole. I laughed even harder about an hour later when I put together the fact that the whole name is Bunghole Liquors. Phonetically brilliant.
posted by Scott on 2-26-2008 at 8:48 am
Idiots. Scandinavia is very sunny. And we’re not pale. Just blonde and blue-eyed, says the myth
posted by Jonas on 2-26-2008 at 2:33 pm
Im so sad! I really thought I submitted my picture for this, guess not!! Anyway, there’s a store in a little town near mine that sells motorcycle accessories and clothing, called Chaps My Ass. I totally freaked out and got so excited because I just knew it was perfect for this–can’t believe I didn’t send it :(
posted by adrienne on 2-29-2008 at 8:36 pm
There’s a business along the 80 between San Francisco and Sacramento called “Guns, Fishing and Other Stuff” that always cracks me up but I still miss the Chinese restaurant in San Luis Obispo back in the day named “Mee Hang Low”. It’s gone now but last time I was actually in San Francisco, there’s still a bar on Geary named “Would You Believe? Cocktails”. Every time we used to go by there, my sister would say, “No! No, I don’t believe!” and we’d laugh.
posted by frodopal on 3-1-2008 at 4:39 pm
In Manhattan years ago, there was a toy store on the upper East side: Uncle Futz’s Toys. If you knew any Yiddish at all, it sounded like a toy store for pedophiles.
posted by lilb on 3-2-2008 at 2:36 pm
Where I go to college, there is a bar called “The Library”. That way, when asked where they were the previous night, they can confidently reply “I was at the Library”!
posted by Belkorin on 3-3-2008 at 11:03 am
I wish I still had a picture of the bar on High Street in Columbus, OH, called “Skankland.”
posted by Li on 3-3-2008 at 1:01 pm
In Las Vegas, I saw Jiffy Smog gas station, and I thought, at least it’s honest; Fat Burger too.
posted by traveler on 3-3-2008 at 9:56 pm
Go to Engrish.com for similiar funny stuff. Very good stuff.
posted by Kevin on 3-4-2008 at 2:52 pm
There is a town in Alberta, Canada called Mannville. Of course that means it has a Mannville Meatmarket!
posted by Donna on 3-4-2008 at 7:02 pm
I work in China designing and building water and waste water treatment plants. We have a plant near a river named Long Dong. No kidding!
posted by Jerry on 3-5-2008 at 2:47 pm
in west warwick, RI there’s a chinese restaurant named fu ming, and someone screwed up the signs in the parking lot.. they say parking for fuming customers only.
posted by wayne on 3-5-2008 at 7:12 pm
@ Capn Grace
Dick Withem Ford (and I think Volkswagen too?) Was the first place I thought of when I saw this. You’re right, Kum & Go isn’t as funny when you see them every day. I was mildly surprised it was even on here. Almost makes me miss living in Waterloo, IA… maybe not. :)
posted by tre on 3-6-2008 at 12:05 am
In Owensboro, KY there’s a place called LLoyd’s Mechanical Erection. They apparently erect things, but it sounds like the title of a short story of an old man’s impotence.
posted by Dave Taylor on 3-6-2008 at 12:06 pm
There used to be a place about 15 years ago in Durham, NC called Fat Daddy’s. It had your usual run-of-the-mill hamburgers and hot dogs. My dad always loved it, which could be ironic because he was a big guy then.
posted by Claire on 3-6-2008 at 3:14 pm
I will always regret not getting a picture of the “Ball Liquor” store in San Jose, CA. Here in Portland my favorite is the historic Hung Far Low building.
posted by Lilly on 3-11-2008 at 4:12 pm