Rooftop Coffee Cup

**Laughsmith** · July-30-11, 11:58 PM

I have a vague childhood memory of seeing a gigantic steaming coffee cup on the roof of a building somewhere downtown near one of the major expressways. Does anyone recall the name of the company or where this might have been located? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

**Downtown Dave** · August-01-11, 10:21 AM

These kinds of billboards are known in the industry as "spectaculars."

I can't help you with locating Detroit's coffee cup [[have not heard of it before or come across it in the old postcards I have...) - but here's a related article on "smoking" billboards [[NYC) where a coffee cup for A&P is mentioned: http://imprint.printmag.com/branding...ing-billboard/ .

**DetroitPlanner** · August-01-11, 10:51 AM

It was in a leave it to beaver episode. You watched too much TV.

**SWMAP** · August-01-11, 11:03 AM

I have a personal collection of such things - a mental collection:

the big baseball on I-75 [[marathon)
the big whipped cream can on I-94
the big salt box near Port Huron [[Diamond)
te big tire, of course.

Ifthere had ever been a big coffee cup, I would have added it to my collection.

**gazhekwe** · August-01-11, 11:06 AM

I think there was a billboard with a picture of a big coffee cup full of hot coffee, but not an actual 3-D coffee cup. The board had a yellow background. It was off Grand River and I-94, and I am blanking on the name of the coffee company. The smell of the coffee roasting was very pleasant during rush hour down Grand River, center lane through inbound, no left turns.

It wasn't too far from the big Borden cow billboard, Elsie.
I also remember a giant spark plug, was it on Woodward and Eight Mile?

**Bigb23** · August-01-11, 11:17 AM

This is from an old thread here.

Attachment 10290

http://jcritchie.blogspot.com/2009/1...nomy-size.html

**DetroitPlanner** · August-01-11, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

I have a personal collection of such things - a mental collection:

the big baseball on I-75 [[marathon)
the big whipped cream can on I-94
the big salt box near Port Huron [[Diamond)
te big tire, of course.

Ifthere had ever been a big coffee cup, I would have added it to my collection.

I am fairly sure that the whipped cream can was on Telegraph just S of Michigan Ave.

**SWMAP** · August-01-11, 11:43 AM

Wow! Three more items for the collection! The New Era Potato chip Can is wonderful. We used to buy potato chips in big metal cans, but maybe not New Era. Think Better Made.

**ptero** · August-01-11, 11:57 AM

We used to buy 'Charles Chips' in the large metal cans.

**gazhekwe** · August-01-11, 04:09 PM

We got New Era in the metal can, 1950s. I actually have a can. I used to love looking at the action silhouettes on it when I was small.

**douglasm** · August-01-11, 05:06 PM

Those New Era silos were to Michigan what "See 7 States From Rock City" barn roofs were [[are?) to the southeast.

**One Shot** · August-01-11, 07:14 PM

This reminds me. Whats the building downtown that has a martini glass shaped out of rope lights or something on the roof? Seen it for a few months now. Does someone live up there and did it for their own novelty or is there a bar there? The building looks to be at least 20+ floors.

**stromberg2** · August-02-11, 12:33 PM

One Shot, that's the David Stott building and there is a new night club in there. I can't remember the name.
Douglasm, I remember those signs when travelling down south as a kid. Makes me want to check out Rock City.

Stromberg2

**royce** · August-03-11, 04:16 AM

Originally Posted by One Shot

This reminds me. Whats the building downtown that has a martini glass shaped out of rope lights or something on the roof? Seen it for a few months now. Does someone live up there and did it for their own novelty or is there a bar there? The building looks to be at least 20+ floors.

The Sky Bar is the name of the new bar in the David Stott Building.

**PaulGall** · August-03-11, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

I think there was a billboard with a picture of a big coffee cup full of hot coffee, but not an actual 3-D coffee cup. The board had a yellow background. It was off Grand River and I-94, and I am blanking on the name of the coffee company. The smell of the coffee roasting was very pleasant during rush hour down Grand River, center lane through inbound, no left turns.

It wasn't too far from the big Borden cow billboard, Elsie.
I also remember a giant spark plug, was it on Woodward and Eight Mile?

It was Superior Coffee.

**gazhekwe** · August-03-11, 08:14 AM

Superior Coffee, YES! Thank you! I was stuck Sanborn, as in Chase & Sanborn, and knew that wasn't right.

**gnome** · August-03-11, 08:44 AM

The Detroit Historical Museum has an on-line exhibit of the Walker & Co. billboard firm. The interface is a little clumsy resulting in making the user click through each photo. I tried to post the link, but didn't have success. Sorry.

**DetroitTeacher** · August-03-11, 08:44 AM

The big whipped cream can was on Telegraph and just south of Michigan. It's now a car dealer and you can still see the bottom portion of the can!

Originally Posted by SWMAP

I have a personal collection of such things - a mental collection:

the big baseball on I-75 [[marathon)
the big whipped cream can on I-94
the big salt box near Port Huron [[Diamond)
te big tire, of course.

Ifthere had ever been a big coffee cup, I would have added it to my collection.

**turkeycall** · August-03-11, 04:05 PM

Years ago - and I mean YEARS ago - there was a New Era Potato Chip can painted on a silo on Gratiot, near Richmond. Seems to me the silo was painted brown and the New Era signage really stood out.

**Bigb23** · August-03-11, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by turkeycall

Years ago - and I mean YEARS ago - there was a New Era Potato Chip can painted on a silo on Gratiot, near Richmond. Seems to me the silo was painted brown and the New Era signage really stood out.

Years ago - and I mean YEARS ago - there was a wild animal park that I almost got a job at, up by Richmond. Does anybody remember that for old times sake?

**detroitbob** · August-03-11, 05:53 PM

The Quickie Coffee Shop on W Grand River[[ south side of the street) between Woodward and Griswold had the huge sign of a coffee cup that moved up and down...I remember the smell of roasting coffee at Superior, which was on the I 94 service drive just off Grand River.