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Tropics Restaurant Sign

1007 Lincoln Pkwy, Lincoln, IL
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The wonderfully restored Tropic's Restaurant sign stands between a newer McDonald's and a former McDonald's building. The newer McDonald's sits on the old Tropics Restaurant site located at 1007 Lincoln Parkway (Woodlawn at Lincoln Pkwy) in Lincoln, IL.

This was the second building the topics occupied, the first burned down in 1975 and the restaurant didn't reopen until 1977. At the time reopening was the good news, the bad news was that I-55 also opened that year and siphoned most of the traveler traffic away from the restaurant location. That led to some tough times for the restaurant, but they persevered and managed to stay in business for another twenty years until 1997. The building shown above was torn down in 2017 to make room for replaced by a new McDonald's restaurant.

Vince Schwenoha had opened the Tropics in 1950 choosing the name because of his time in Hawaii while he was in the military. One of his special sandwiches was the Tropic Burger, a California style two-patty hamburger.

Lew and Bev Johnson had met while working at the restaurant and in 1955 they leased the building and took over the business shortly after getting married. They bought the building in 1982. After Lew retired in 1997 the business went through several operators but finally closed for good in 2004.

Along with two dining rooms and the Bamboo Lounge the counter featured those swivel style stools that kids love to twirl around on. Tropical scenes, plants and and bamboo abounded, including bamboo canopy that hung over the lounge bar and its beach scene on the back wall. At one point in time Lew Johnson would shuttle employees to and from work in his VW van.

Before it came down in 2014 the very cool neon sign beckoned Route 66 travelers as well as locals to step inside for over 50 years. In 2016 plans were announced to restore it and reinstall it at or near it's original location. Some of the bricks from the front of the building shown above may be used in the base of the sign when it is reinstalled.

The Tropics was inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame in 2015.

There is a Wayside Exhibit by the restored sign that share some of the restaurants history and a list of contributors to the signs restoration.

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Vintage Postcard Highlights

THE BEAUTIFUL TROPICS
Located in Lincoln, Ill. at the junction of 66-10-121.
Complete breakfast, short orders and lunches served in our coffee shop.
Dining room specialties - Charcoal Steaks, Hawaiian Barbecue Ribs, Country Fried Chicken and Delicious Cocktails.

Open 7 days a week.

NOTE: Clockwise from top left: Bar, Dining Room, Coffee Shop.
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Photo(s): 2015, 2023