Our History

Flashtric, Inc. is one of the leading local Sign Companies in Chicago. We have been providing quality service throughout the Chicago-land-area for nearly 100 years. By setting high standards of quality and ethics, we have become Chicago’s Premier sign company. Those standards have been rewarded by loyal clients who are pleased with the excellent service we have provided.

The history in our journey throughout the years speaks volumes.

The Chicago Tribune Has Written About Us

“Iconic Orange Garden neon ‘chop suey’ sign restored, and to be unveiled at its new home near Chicago”

“Madame ZuZu’s will host a lighting ceremony to unveil the restoration of the iconic Orange Garden neon chop suey sign at its new home Dec. 17.

Billy Corgan originally opened Madame ZuZu’s, a plant-based tea cafe in Highland Park, in 2012 with personal and professional partner Chloé Mendel. Corgan is best known as the lead singer of The Smashing Pumpkins. The Pumpkins are an alternative rock band he cofounded in Chicago in 1988.

Mendel bought the sign for $17,000 at auction in April as a surprise birthday present for Corgan.

“When I lived on Irving Park Road, during the early halcyon days of the Pumpkins circa 1988, I walked past this iconic sign 1,000 times,” he told the Tribune in the spring. “And I would always take a moment to stop and admire its beauty and connection to a lost and gilded age.”

The sign hung over Orange Garden, the oldest Chinese restaurant in the city, in the North Center neighborhood. The restaurant’s history is disputed, but it’s believed to have been open since at least 1927, according to Matt Rutherford, Newberry Library curator of genealogy and local history.

It also remains unclear when the iconic sign was installed over the sidewalk out front. The curvaceous sign once read on three lines: “Orange Garden. Chop Suey. Chow Mein.”

In 2008, the Chinese restaurant’s current owner, Hui Ruan, took over from his brother, with help from his son and daughter. Two years later, they began requesting estimates to fix the famous sign from Flashtric, the company that made it. Some of the neon worked, some didn’t, and it was falling apart over the sidewalk.

“We were trying to see how we could refurbish it to keep its original aesthetic,” said Angela Demir, current owner of Flashtric. The last proposal in 2013, to fix falling rust and to get the neon back to fully working order, was for $4,100.

The restored sign, shown as an illustration with the neon flickering and fully functional on social media, now reads on three lines, “Madame Zuzus. Chop Suey. Chow Mein.”

The lighting ceremony event is sold out, but you can join the waitlist linked at Madame ZuZu’s site.

Tickets for the event are $25 each and include a can of a limited beer by Hop Butcher For The World called ZuZu’s Winter Garden, made with tropical spiced clementine tea by Rare Tea Cellar; or a nonalcoholic special edition Winter Garden Tea.

Bowmanville, a swing band based in Chicago, will provide live music.

1876 First St., Highland Park; 847-926-7359; madamezuzus.com lchu@chicagotribune.com

Originally Published: December 7, 2022 at 2:12 p.m.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2022/12/07/iconic-orange-garden-neon-chop-suey-sign-restored-and-to-be-unveiled-at-its-new-home-near-chicago/

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The expected lifetime of a sign depends on whether you place the sign or graphic indoor or outdoor. We use sign materials for short-term applications and also provide materials for long-term projects. Whether your sign needs to withstand the elements in an outdoor setting or needs to be located indoor, our consultants will work with you to determine the best solution for your needs.

  • The length of time it takes to make a sign can vary depending in the materials, usage and complexity. Our consultants strive to meet your expectations on deadlines and turnaround time. While some projects may be ready in 24 hours, other projects make take longer to complete.

  • There are many factors that determine the price of a sign or visual graphic. Here are few:

    1. What are you trying to accomplish with your sign?

    2. Determining the right type(s) of signs for you is step one.

    3. Do you have artwork or do we need to create it?

    4. How complicated is the sign design?

    5. Can the artwork just be printed, or are we building something more complex?

    6. Does the sign require a permit, and if so, will you acquire it or will we?

    7. How long does the sign need to last? A temporary sign could be made with vinyl or plastic, however a permanent sign would likely be made of acrylic, metal or wood, which are more expensive materials.

    8. How big is the sign? More material, more expense.

    9. Where and how will the sign need to be installed? How many people will it take to transport the sign, install and secure it? Will equipment need to be rented to install it?

    10. Do you need multiples of this sign or other signs as part of this project?

    Call us; we’ll ask you more questions to help us understand your need - and to be able to get you a price.

  • Our turnaround is fast, but fast means different things to different people. How quickly we can get you what you need depends on the type of signs you need, the number of signs needed, if you have approved artwork ready to use and how fast you can approve proofs, if we have the materials in the center or have to order them, if the signs need permits to be installed, if the installation site has the structures we need to hang or affix something, etc.

    Tell us about your specific needs and we’ll create a timeline for you.