Whether a steaming mug, the diner's name, or a big neon "EAT," these signs were visual magnets for highway travelers. Underneath that neon glow, diners became icons of round-the-clock hospitality.

Eftekhar got the sign from his friend Brenton “Mr. Neon” West, a local landscaper and snow removal specialist whose hobby is finding, buying and restoring old neon signs.