Small town business names

[Dan]

After driving across about a third of the United States this week, much of it off the Interstates, I noticed that the names of businesses located in small towns seem to have the diversity of Chinese restaurant names. The vast majority seem to follow certain formulas, not typically used for naming businesses in larger metropolitan areas. For instance ...

Initial & Initial, more often than not used for businesses that involve construction or motor vehicles. The letter J is used a disproportionately large amount as the first initial. Examples: J&B Wrecking, J&R Guns, J&D Trucking, J&L Furniture.

Religious names, which are found on more than churches. Examples: Jesus is Lord Towing, Jesus is Coming Soon General Contractor, Christ is Master Disposal.

Someone's Place, often found on restaurants and coffee houses. That "someone" is usually a woman with a "country" sounding name. Examples: Betty's Place Restaurant, Tammy's Place Coffee House, Luann's Place Salon, Patty Ann's Place - Clothing for Big Beautiful Women.

The cute generic name, typically used for antique stores, restaurants, used product stores, and similar businesses. Examples: That Restaurant, Yet Another Diner, This Antique Store, That Consignment Store.

Any other formulas for business names that you've seen, in small towns or otherwise?

 

[SGB]

Here's a couple of favorites from rural northern NY

Religious names
Acts II Construction - "Building bridges for Christ"

The cute generic name
A neighborhood bar in a small city called The Office. I like it! "Honey, I won't be home for dinner. It's looking like a late night at The Office."

 

[Chet]

We have Miracle Homes- a christian based company

The running joke amongst building inspectors - "Yeah, its a miracle they stay standing."

*YAWN*

 

[jmf]

There is an antique shop in Cape Breton run by a fellow named Myles, it is called Myles from Nowhere.

 

[Cardinal]

Anybody have a bar called The Brass Rail, or The Dew Drop Inn? How about stores called <name's> Country Corrner?

 

[Seabishop]

Don't forget The Outhouse in Lancaster County, PA. (Check out the Man Eating Chicken)

 

[tsc]

I think it is in Oneida, NY on Route 20.. or Route 5... I have seen picture of it on the web..... and actually in person of

"Pepe's Pizza and Bridal Shop"

The best part is the 30 foot high gorilla on the roof....


for a while on Erie Boulevard in Syracuse NY.. during the late 80's...there was a sign for a clothing and sporting goods store:

"Dicks for Men and Boys"

the sign was up for a good year or so.. before they shortened changed it to "Dicks"

 

[tsc]

there is a dive of a bar called "the Brass Rail" in Binghamton, NY...

 

[BKM]

There is a "Mac's Club" in downtown Fairfield. A dingy, black-shiny-tile-=from-the-1940s building owned by a judge.

OT: All of you who are in favor of the new no-smoking-in-bars laws, there is a negative side effect:

The denizens of a bar like Mac's are forced into public view-often the first time they've seen daylight in years, to catch their smokes. Not a pretty sight.

 

[Jessie-J]

Anybody have a bar called The Brass Rail, or The Dew Drop Inn? How about stores called <name's> Country Corrner?

There's a restaurant called The Brass Rail next to the building I work in. Never eaten there, but pretty good apparently.

 

[biscuit]

Anybody have a bar called The Brass Rail, or The Dew Drop Inn? How about stores called <name's> Country Corrner?

There is a Golden Rail in Waynesburg, PA

Another formula name is _____'s Country Kitchen, which are all over the South. I can think of three of them in three neighboring counties in SC.

Kind of OT
My favorite local bar name is Stiffy's, which is located at the corner of High and Boner streets in Waynesburg, PA

 

[Mud Princess]

Anybody have a bar called The Brass Rail, or The Dew Drop Inn?

Good grief, "Dew Drop Inn" is ubiquitous. There's one in Saranac Lake, New York. Also Dew Drop Inn antique shop in Cold Spring.

 

[Dan]

Administrator's note - Some posts in this thread were edited or deleted. Please note the following rule.

Ad hominem attacks are not welcome. Criticize ideas, not people. Sarchasm is acceptable, of course, but not when it's directed at someone. That is, unless they deserve it. Refrain from insulting someone's race, character, heritage, religion, or sexual orientation.

 

[Queen B]

Bar named "My Place" and another "The Library" near campus.


"Dicks for Men and Boys"
brings to mind a restaurant owners personal license plate that read "Eat Out" of course if you did not know his occupation you might think of something else!

 

[Tom R]

names

I know of restaurants, the Post and Paddock and The Triple Crown. I'm a littly leery about restaurants with a horsy motif, especially if their specialty is steaks.

 

[Planderella]

There's a church called "Smoking for Jesus." Smoking what you ask? Well, you be the judge of that.

 

[Zoning Goddess]

Clermont FL used to have "Rambo Florist".

 

[Zoning Goddess]

Oh, and how about the extraneous "e"s, as in "Olde Country Shoppe". Yick.

 

[kms]

Alliteration where it doesn't belong "Kim's Korner", or any "K" used in place of "C". "Korner Tavern"

Around here, you see a lot of apostrophes used before plural "s".

And the Olde English use - Ye Olde........ Mrs. Shakespeare (yes, I know it's not her name) won't shop there.

 

[H]

I am sure it is not unique, but it is one of my favorites:


“Royal Flush Plumbing”

 

[jordanb]

Oh, and how about the extraneous "e"s, as in "Olde Country Shoppe". Yick.

That's not exclusive to small towns. The condo high-rise going up in my neighborhood is using the word "Pointe" on its advertising.

 

[Otis]

There was a meat processor outside of Greencastle PA named "Rotz Meats" and that is my personal favorite.

I've seen several bars with names like "The Library" or "My Sister's Place", kind of like "The Office."

 

[pete-rock]

There's a business not too far from my job, called "Ash Wipe Chimney Sweeping". I kid you not.

 

[BKM]

I lived in an apartment complex called "The Pointe" for a couple of years. I hate extra "e's"

 

[biscuit]

I hate extra "e's"

I'm just waiting for the next mixed use project around here to be named something like "The Shoppes at Olde Pointe Towne Centre"

 

[Pride of Place]

In Charleston, SC, we had the "Christian Exterminating Service". Brings up all sorts of images, doesn't it? I think I appreciate my favorite drive-in name more, though: "Jerry's Park-N-Blow" in Pamplico, SC. Actually, it's not too far from my favorite convienience store -- the "Snatch and Go" in Darlington, SC.

 

[gerblunk]

Someone mentioned the bar "The Office" in upstate NY. In Milwaukee's CBD you have My Office, a little hole in the wall tavern. Wonderful place.

Gotta love the hair salon names --- Hair Justice (this one has a neon sign representing the scales of justice), Scriptures Hair Salon, Curl up and Dye, The Lord is Here Hair Salon, and, my personal favorite: Kung Fu Maniacs.

My question is: why on Earth would you want Kung Fu maniacs doing your hair??

 

[Pride of Place]

gerblunk, I had forgotten all about hair salons. There's one down the street here called the "House of Hair". I get images of those beaded room dividers, except they look like Crystal Gayle instead. There's another great one in Foscoe, NC (up in the mountains). It's called "High Country Hair". I never know how to read that. Is it High Country Hair or High Country Hair?

 

[Whose Yur Planner]

I am sure it is not unique, but it is one of my favorites:


&#8220;Royal Flush Plumbing&#8221;

We have one of those here. The logo is a plumber with a crown.

 

[noj]

A personal favourite of mine has to be the fish and chip shop in Bosworth, Leicestershire. Bosworth is famous for being the site of a battle in English history, and hence the chippy is called, "The Batter of Bosworth".