A few months ago, I chronicled my dining escapade at Sherri’s Diner, 704 S.W. 59th Street, lavishing high praise on their home-cooked cornbread and peach cobbler. I also made mention of their flea-market collection of used metal signage that covers the walls, inside and out, some of them I’m sure fetching a demeaning price from big-city garbage pickers.
But I guess neighborhood thieves weren’t too happy with the lack of offers, because a recently stolen metal Royal Crown Cola sign was found abandoned “on the ground somewhere” in Oklahoma City. Now, thankfully, it is back where it belongs—or it soon will be—on the pink brick walls of Sherri’s Diner.
The diner's owner and manager told KOCO 5 they've gone through a range of emotions the past few days.
"Totally shocked. I never expected to ever see that sign again," owner Sherri McKinney said.
While, yes, I’m sure it does make one upset that an unprotected metal sign has been lifted by an area punk in the middle of the night on S.W. 59th Street, we have to remember that this is a metal sign, not the Lindbergh Baby. I highly doubt the Kübler-Ross model was in effect here; the widest range of emotions that one can possibly have is mild annoyance to righteous anger.
But, even if it was never returned, there are still plenty of antique stores offering metal signs just down the street from my house on N.W. 10th; I’m sure that we can find one with a little more flair and panache than that boring old R.C. Cola logo. Maybe an old Coca-Cola sign promoting the health benefits of cocaine, the miracle elixir of the 1900s?
"...Even people who weren't our customers were willing to do anything they could to keep their eyes and ears open to help us find the sign because it is part of the southside of Oklahoma City," Morris said. "It's been here from 31 years, and we want it to stay for another 31 years."
McKinney and Morris said they're going to hold off on putting the sign back up until they get better security measures to make sure someone doesn't steal it again.
Regardless, I am glad that your signage was found and is now resting in the eatery, waiting to be put back up soon. Hopefully you do install a few security measures, perhaps like hiring hungry derelicts that are given daily helpings of Sherri’s fantastic bacon hamburgers, chicken fried steaks and, of course, pie in exchange for skulking around the premises all night, hiding in the constantly moving shadows, scaring off the superstitious local toughs that are, undoubtedly, a fearful and cowardly lot.
