Thanks to a CHS reader for the picture.
The Amante Pizza sign has come beaming back to life and at least one Capitol Hill man is making it known he is very unhappy about it.
Long a source of neighborhood grumbling, the video screen that flashes pizza promotions at Denny and E Olive Way has been criticized as an unfitting welcome sign to Capitol Hill. After a complaint was made last year, a city inspector confirmed it was not only a matter of taste, finding a “violation of changing image frequency.” A subsequent inspection found the same issue.
The video screen then went dark in November after new owners took over the franchise restaurant. At the time, a City of Seattle spokesperson said new owner George Kozhuharov was made aware of the complaints and pulled the plug to be a good neighbor.
CHS was unable to reach Kozhuharov Wednesday for comment about why the sign was recently re-illuminated. An employee at the restaurant said the owners had been working on changing some of the messaging, and perhaps the image frequency. The emloyee also said complaint calls, mostly from one nearby resident, have started to pour in. “All I know is that we’re legal,” the worker said.
Kozhuharov took over Amante amid a wave of pizza activity on Capitol Hill. While the restaurant shut down briefly for some upgrades, Kozhuharov told CHS he would stay the course as far as the restaurant’s concept was concerned.
I wonder how much revenue that sign brings in vs the people that avoid eating there due to the annoyance of the sign.
Being legal or not, you think they’d want to be a good neighbor.
NOOOOOO!!!
I pretty much don’t go to this place because of this sign…even when I noticed it was off. There’s way better pizza all around it sooo…
It’s not a pretty sign, and I used to refer to the area as “Little Aurora,” because of it. But, before Amante, and its flashing LED sign, this space hosted a series of failed restaurants.
I’ve been glad to see a business finally work there, and if a tacky flashing sign is helping make the difference: so be it.
Good lawd! Its not like that sign is flashing directly in their faces…
I say keep the sign!
Kenny, noooooo! Anyway, it’s easy for me to say, since I don’t live *right there*, but it never occurred to me to think one way or the other about that sign. I, too, am happy to see a tenant actually stick around. And I like their pizza.
I’ve never gone there, *specifically* because of the sign. Loved when they turned it off, but it was still sitting up there waiting to be turned back on…
Remove the sign completely and I PROMISE to come in and eat.
#TeamSign