Community

Original Abby’s Neon Sign Returns To Stephens Street As Historic Parlor Celebrates Major Remodel

One of Abby’s original neon pole signs is returning to the Stephens Street parlor as the historic Roseburg location celebrates a major remodel with a three-day community event, special guests, discounts and the return of its beloved salad bar.

ROSEBURG, Ore. - A familiar piece of Roseburg history is returning to the place where the Abby’s Legendary Pizza story began more than six decades ago.

Work begins Friday to reinstall one of the original Abby’s pole signs in the parking lot of the company’s Stephens Street parlor. The restored neon sign welcomed generations of customers during the 1960s and 1970s before it disappeared from public view.

After being discovered several years ago and carefully restored, the sign will once again greet families at the original Abby’s location, which opened in Roseburg in 1964.

Its return is one of the most visible parts of a major renovation designed to honor the restaurant’s past while preparing the longtime community gathering place for future generations.

“When we found the original neon sign that welcomed guests to our Stephens Street parlor for decades, we knew we had to bring it back,” Abby’s President Mike Hudspeth said. “Restoring this piece of Roseburg history was an important part of the remodel, and we’re proud that it will once again welcome families to Abby’s for generations to come.”

The remodeled parlor includes new interior finishes along with several features celebrating the community and the company’s local roots. Guests will find a Douglas County history wall, a Roseburg mural and tributes to championship athletic teams from Roseburg High School and Umpqua Community College.

A new mural inside Abby’s original Stephens Street parlor celebrates Roseburg and Douglas County’s timber heritage while highlighting the restaurant’s longtime place in the community.

The restaurant’s longtime salad bar has also returned.

Abby’s will mark the completion of the project with a three-day community celebration from Monday, July 20, through Wednesday, July 22.

Community Celebration Schedule

Monday, July 20: The Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce will hold an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. The evening will also include a fundraiser benefiting Umpqua United Soccer Club and the hundreds of local children who participate in its programs.
Tuesday, July 21: Players from the Doc Stewarts baseball team will be available to meet guests and sign autographs.
Wednesday, July 22: Animals from Wildlife Safari will visit the parlor, and Abby’s founders Abby Broughton, Connie Harrell and Bob “Skinny” Harrell will join the celebration.

“It was tremendously important to invite Abby, Connie and Bob to join us for this special event,” Hudspeth said. “What they started in 1964 has made a huge impact on thousands of people both here in Roseburg and across the Northwest. We want to honor and thank them on Wednesday evening.”

Special pricing will be offered throughout the celebration on the Abby’s Special and Skinny’s Special, the pizzas named after the company’s founders. Both use the original recipes that helped launch the restaurant more than 60 years ago.

Abby’s was founded in Roseburg in 1964 by high school friends Abby Broughton and Bob “Skinny” Harrell. The family-owned company remains headquartered in Roseburg and now employs more than 800 people across 37 locations.

The public is invited to attend all three days and celebrate the original Stephens Street parlor, the place where generations of memories were made and where the Abby’s story first began.