For many locals, Doumar’s Cones and Barbecue has been a stop for generations looking for relief from the summer heat with a fresh waffle cone or a hamburger under the iconic red awning.
Doumar’s back-lot sign, overlooking Granby Street, is also a monument to days gone by, its midcentury typeface hinting at a simple and nostalgic menu: $1.70 for a limeade and $4 for a cheeseburger. But after decades of sun and weather, the metal sign has faded.
Doumar’s, iconic Norfolk diner, prepares 4th generation to carry on its famous waffle cones
Artist Abby Pawley spent childhood summers going to Doumar’s with her family, as her mother did before her. When Doumar’s reached out to Pawley to restore the sign, she said, it was an opportunity to connect with the establishment in a way she hadn’t before.
“It was definitely a full circle moment,” she said. “I think about who will fix the sign for me 60 years from now.”
In July, she started sanding, buffing, scrubbing, etching, re-etching, painting and repainting the design onto its giant backing, which, being metal, catches wind like a sail and shakes.
Owner Thad Doumar said the original was painted around 60 years ago by Hampton Roads legend Wallis “Wally” Damon and is one of few remaining examples of his work. In an age of huge digital billboards, the human element of a handpainted sign is appealing.
After 48 hours of work over a week, and delays from thunderstorms, Pawley has finished and inscribed her name onto the sign.
“You want to honor the past and honor that nostalgia,” Doumar said. “It helps keep our relationship with Wally alive.”
Billy Schuerman, william.schuerman@virginiamedia.com
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