The Sandbar & Grill sign on Municipal Wharf 2 in Monterey had been up for over 20 years. If you know the restaurant — and most locals do — you know the sign: a blue half-circle arch with “SANDBAR & GRILL” in raised white letters, visible from both directions along the wharf.

After two decades of salt spray, fog, UV, and constant ocean wind, the sign had deteriorated to the point where it was becoming a safety concern. The wood was crumbling, the paint was peeling in sheets, and the mounting points were compromised. It needed a full replacement.

Old deteriorating Sandbar and Grill sandblasted sign on Municipal Wharf 2 Monterey showing peeling paint and crumbling wood

The original sign after 20-plus years on the wharf.

The Job

Owner Craig Ling called us to build a replacement. We matched the original design exactly — same size, same shape, same layout. Monterey’s wharfs require signs to be sandblasted wood or HDU (high-density urethane foam), and matching the existing design qualified the project as a maintenance replacement, keeping us out of a lengthy permitting process.

This is a double-sided sign — readable from both directions on the wharf — so we fabricated two complete sandblasted sign faces mounted back-to-back. To support them, we designed a custom aluminum frame that distributes wind loads across the full structure and keeps the wood separated from any surface that could trap moisture. Aluminum won’t rust or rot in a marine environment. It’s the part nobody will ever see, and it’s what makes this sign safer and more durable for the long haul.

Signworks crew assembling new Sandbar and Grill sandblasted sign onto custom aluminum frame in the shop

Assembling the sign faces onto the custom aluminum frame in our shop.

New sandblasted Sandbar and Grill sign with gooseneck light fully assembled in Signworks shop

The finished sign — looking better than ever and built to handle another 20 years of wharf weather.

Installation

We used our Elliott L60 boom truck to pull the old sign and install the new assembly onto the existing posts. The crew got it up, secured, and dialed in.

View from Signworks Elliott L60 boom truck during sign installation on Municipal Wharf 2 Monterey

View from the L60 during installation on Municipal Wharf 2.

From the wharf, the Sandbar & Grill sign looks like it always has — and that’s the point. What’s different is the engineering underneath, built for the conditions this sign actually lives in. We’ve been doing this on the Monterey Peninsula for 33 years. If you’ve got a sign that’s seen better days, give us a call.