Restaurants, bars, and cafes
Restaurant signs in Columbus, Ohio have to work after dark and from the sidewalk, not only as a logo on a drawing. A bar, cafe, or dining room usually needs more than one piece: a primary storefront mark, something people can read once they are on foot, and a way to show the menu or a patio that changes with the season.
Night trade, a narrow facade, and a lease are the usual starting points. Not every address needs every item below. The useful quote says which of these the site actually calls for.
The primary mark on the facade. Front-lit letters stay readable from the road after dusk. Halo-lit letters are a better fit when the wall is masonry or the block prefers a softer glow. Non-illuminated letters still make sense for a daytime cafe or a street that is already bright.
A blade sign faces people already walking, which matters in districts where the wall sign sits parallel to traffic. In Columbus, a projecting sign that reaches into the public right-of-way is called out separately from the size rule for flat wall signs. We build the blade with the storefront package instead of treating it as a catalog bracket.
A counter or wall menu board, a host-stand logo, and restroom identification. These are fabricated or printed pieces, not a digital screen system. They are not the exterior graphics permit. If the space needs accessible room identification, that is a separate interior sign from the menu board.
Hours, a logo, or a frosted band for privacy at the host stand. We print and install the graphics in-house. Window film is often treated differently from a permanent wall sign, and a landlord may still limit how much glass you can cover.
A seasonal patio or a soft opening is a banner or a temporary panel, not a second permanent cabinet. Outdoor vinyl, hems, and grommets are shop work we already do. This is not the school banner program, and the school kickback does not apply. Temporary signs and permanent letters are different filings.
A dark letter on a cabinet that is otherwise sound is often a module or a power supply, not an automatic replacement. Send photos and the city. We confirm the fault on site. A photo is enough to start; it is not a diagnosis, and we do not quote a turnaround until we have seen the sign.
The logo file is the easy part. These are the constraints we need before the layout is worth drawing.
Many Columbus restaurants lease. The lease or a landlord sign criteria sheet usually sets letter height, whether a raceway is allowed, and whether a blade sign may project. A mixed-use building or an HOA can add a second approval on top of the city. Send that document with the quote so the first drawing matches it, instead of a redraw after the property manager rejects it.
Inside the City of Columbus, illuminated exterior signs and larger non-illuminated signs typically need a graphics permit. Projecting signs are called out because of where they hang, even when they look small. German Village and the Short North corridor can add a design review on top of that permit. A patio banner and a lighted letter set are not the same filing.
Dublin, Westerville, Hilliard, Grove City, Gahanna, Upper Arlington, Reynoldsburg, and nearby townships each apply their own rules. We do not publish those cities’ size cutoffs here. We confirm the jurisdiction from the job address when we scope installation. Fees and review times come from that office — we do not publish them.
There is no single shop turnaround. Landlord approval and, where it applies, permit or historic-district review sit on the calendar ahead of fabrication. A patio banner for a known weekend is a shorter path than a new illuminated letter set. If you have an opening date, say so. We confirm a production window with the quote after we know the address, the sign types, and whether a criteria sheet exists. Most inquiries get a response within one business day.
Bars and many dining rooms are open after the facade light has done its job. Front-lit faces are the most readable from the road. Halo lighting outlines the letter on the wall and is often easier to live next to residences. Non-illuminated letters are a real option for a daytime cafe or a site with strong existing lighting. Illuminated signs are also electrical work, and in Columbus they are in permit territory regardless of size.
Weather, daily on and off cycles, and a kitchen environment are what age a restaurant sign. A faded face, a section of LEDs out, or a raceway that no longer sits flat are service jobs when the cabinet is still sound. If it is not, we will say so and quote a new sign instead of a repair that is likely to fail again. There is no public storefront — we schedule the visit.
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We start from the address, the facade, and whatever the landlord already requires. A logo file alone does not describe the wall.
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Letters, a blade, window graphics, and a menu board are drawn as one set so they do not fight each other for the same few feet of frontage.
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Illuminated letters and many projecting signs are filed before they are built. A short-run patio banner stays on its own path.
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Fabrication is in-house. Install includes electrical hookup when the sign is lit. Later service is available when a section goes dark.
A catering van or delivery vehicle is a separate layout from the building. That work is a vehicle wrap or fleet graphic, quoted on its own so the storefront permit is not waiting on the van. Vehicle wraps and fleet graphics
Or email henry@artiplexsigns.com. Serving Columbus and Central Ohio. No public storefront.
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