Gourmands LA is a catering company in Glendale with a café at the front. They did not want a rectangle over the door. They wanted a spoon. So we built one: a custom-shaped lightbox in the outline of a spoon, with the Gourmands LA logo in the bowl and the word CAFÉ running down the handle.
What we built
A custom-shaped lightbox: an aluminum cabinet fabricated to the outline of a spoon rather than a standard rectangle, with a white translucent face, a gold and black border that follows the shape, the round logo in the bowl and CAFÉ in dark letters down the handle. LED modules inside light the whole face evenly, so the shape reads at night exactly as it does by day.
Why a custom shape
A catering company competes with every restaurant on the street for attention, and a shape people recognize instantly does more than a name they have to read. A spoon says “food” from across the street before anyone has read a letter. Custom shapes also photograph well, which matters for a business that lives on Instagram and event referrals.
How custom-shape lightboxes are made
- Design. We draw the outline and the face graphics to scale and send a mock-up on a photo of the building.
- Cutting. The cabinet returns are bent to follow the curve and the face is cut to the same outline on our CNC and laser equipment.
- Graphics. The logo and lettering are applied to the translucent face so they stay sharp when lit.
- Lighting and wiring. LED modules are laid out to avoid hot spots in the narrow handle and the wide bowl, then the sign is wired and tested in the shop, as in the photo above.
- Installation. Mounted and connected on site by our own crew.
Permits in Glendale
Glendale has its own sign regulations, separate from the City of Los Angeles, and an illuminated sign needs a sign permit. Custom shapes are allowed; the review looks at total sign area, placement and lighting, and we prepare the drawings the city asks for.
Want a sign that is not a rectangle?
We build custom-shaped lightbox and LED signs for restaurants, cafés and food businesses across Glendale and Los Angeles. Start with sign design, or send us your logo and a photo of the storefront and we will show you what it could look like.