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Over the last month or so, people driving down Stevens Creek Boulevard were in for a surprise when they hit Blaney Avenue and saw a large white cup with arms and legs dancing wildly on the sidewalk in front of Quizno's sandwich shop. Theodore Wong even parked his car to check out the place. In fact, according to the operators of the place, Peter and Hannah Song, the large cup with a straw on the top and the Quizno's logo on the front drew in lots of customers. This was part of their marketing strategy.
And it was definitely working, as weekly sales for the restaurant increased significantly.
Then the city put the kibosh on the dancing cup because a city ordinance prohibits the use of animated signs on the street.
"It's kind of sad; it was fun to sit outside and watch him," said Wong, who has visited several times since the Q-cup man arrived. "I would have never known the place was here without him; it's sort of hidden inside the plaza."
The Quizno's shop is literally sandwiched between several other stores, including the popular Verde Tea Cafe, making it rather unnoticeable to those driving by.
In an attempt to bring back their dancing cup, the Songs—armed with a list of signatures from customers who support the sign—went to the July 19 city council meeting.
Their daughter, Melody, explained to the council that her family's business was at a disadvantage due to its location and that there were no large signs to draw people into the store. She said that their animated sign had shown incredible promise in just one month's time, increasing their revenue by more than $2,000 per week. She said that after the Songs had received the letter from the city telling them to discontinue use of the sign, their profits fell significantly. Song told the council her parents anticipated losing a possible tens of thousands of dollars per year, which they could earn if their cup could dance.
They were told the ordinance prohibits the use of animated signs on the street, and that fact could not be changed. Mayor Sandy James offered several suggestions, briefly discussing with the Songs how the restaurant could use a different type of sign to bring in customers. She said the company could work with the planning commission to find an option that would work well for them that would be approved by the city.
The Songs left in good spirits and are in the process of figuring out what kind of sign will bring in customers the way the dancing cup did.
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