He Restored the Original Hinano Sign Before Passing
By Zach Armstrong
Bud Harris, the first bartender to work at the classic Hinano Cafe and the man who painted its outdoor sign, has passed away.
Harris was an Inglewood-born local artist who designed the original Hinano sign in ‘62 and then did the redesign earlier this year. Local stalwarts including Gold’s Gym have also had their lettering designed by Harris. The letter covering of the redesign has sides made of 23-karat gold leaf, reading ‘Hinano Cafe, est. 1962’, against a neatly-plaited brown backdrop.
Harris previously told Yo Venice that “when [he] worked here, a pitcher of beer was $1, a bottle was 25¢, and an imported bottle of Hinano Beer was 65¢ a bottle.” He also remarked “When I was working here, I learned how to make any kind of hamburger or hot dog – I survived here.”
“Amazing person, he helped open/build Hinano Cafe and was the first bartender to work at the bar. He had such great stories. So happy that we were able to have him restore the original sign he made just a few months ago.” the bar wrote in a Facebook post.
The Facebook post on Harris’ passing was met with numerous comments from people sending condolences to the restaurant and his family. One comment read “A good friend who will be missed by so many. He introduced us to the Hinano when we visited him from the UK. (The sign) is a little piece of him still in Venice.”
