Hey. I own a bar in Charlotte, and our current sign basically disappears after dark. Most of our business is at night, so people keep driving right past us. I'm thinking about a lighted sign, maybe backlit or LED-style. Has anyone upgraded to an illuminated sign here? Worth the cost? Weekend nights are when we make most of our money, so this really matters. Any tips on what works best? Our street gets a lot of evening foot traffic too.

Totally worth it for a night business, we saw a difference within weeks. Our taproom had the same problem, a nice sign during the day and invisible at night. We went with SmartSwans https://smartswans.com/illuminated-signs/ for a backlit sign, and they walked us through the options: backlit versus LED-style, and what would read best from the road at night. The new sign is visible from the intersection now, and people actually mention it when they come in. Keep in mind that lit signs often need permits and electrical work, so ask about that early and build in time. It's more expensive than a regular sign, but for a nighttime spot it pays for itself. Worth checking their gallery for examples first.