An iconic part of Sault Ste. Marie’s dining history is now on display at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum.
One side of the Ernie’s Coffee Shop sign was mounted on a wall near the door of the museum’s second-floor Skylight Gallery in mid-October.
“I showed a photo to my parents. Dad was very happy. Mom was very, very proud,” said Chuck Febbraro.
Chuck’s father Ernie and mother Judy opened Ernie's Coffee Shop at 13 Queen St. E. in 1972.
Ernie's was a highly popular family restaurant known for its breakfasts, burgers, and table top jukeboxes.
Chuck and his wife Donna joined the staff of the restaurant in 1976 and Chuck eventually became the coffee shop’s manager.
“We made a very good living and we had a good reputation. A lot of hours, a lot of tears, a lot of sweat went into that business,” Chuck told SooToday.
“I'm very proud to be part of the legacy. I’m proud to be part of the journey that my mom and dad started. I spent over 40 years with them. I’m proud the sign is now part of the city's history. It’s amazing.”
Though Ernie's opened in 1972, the restaurant’s famous neon sign dates to 1957. It was installed by the owner of a previous business –Larry's Coffee Shop – at 13 Queen St. E.
When Ernie Febbraro bought the business in 1972, he repainted the sign and added his name in neon. The shape of the letter L from Larry's original sign can still be seen behind the coffee cup.
Chef John Armstrong took over the business in 2020 but retained Ernie's name and sign.
Though the restaurant is still in business, the neon sign was damaged by a delivery truck in 2021 and was taken down by Classic Signs.
A scrap merchant donated one side of the sign to the museum in 2023.
“We're really proud and happy to have the sign and be able to present it,” said Will Hollingshead, Sault Ste. Marie Museum executive director.
“I know Ernie’s has been a really important part of our community for a very long time.
"I think almost everyone in Sault Ste. Marie has been there at least once for a burger or something fantastic. When we were offered this opportunity, it was a no-brainer that we would take it and find a place to display it. We’ve found the perfectly-sized wall for it to actually fit on.”
The side of the sign donated to the museum had faced Gore Street.
“It took a little while for us to clean it. When we first got it, it wasn't in the best condition. There was some oil spilled on it. You can see a little bit of black on it.
"We gave it a little bit of a cleaning and preventative conservation so that it can stay up for a lot longer without deteriorating,” Hollingshead said.
“We also had to build a mount to get it up on the wall, so that was another delay. We just wanted to make sure that we were treating the artifact the best we can and make sure that it will last as long as it can while it's up on display."
The other side of the sign – which faced Queen Street East – was given by the scrap merchant to Vintage Games 'n Junque.
Michael Turcotte, Vintage Games 'n Junque owner, said he has no plans to sell his half of the sign.
“I very much believe in Sault history and maintaining things in the community,” Turcotte said.
“When the option was I take it or the scrap merchant takes it to the scrap yard I thought there was no way that I wanted this sign, or part of it, to get destroyed or just disappear.
"We want to hang it in our store but we haven't had the opportunity. Ours is in great shape but it has some paint on it.”
Turcotte’s half of the sign is in his store at 165 Queen St. E. and can be viewed upon request.
“Eventually I will hang it in the store. I used to eat at Ernie's every Saturday. It was probably the best breakfast place in the Sault in my opinion,” Turcotte said.