Pago Pago: No More?
By Kevin Robinson in News on Apr 26, 2010 4:00PM
If you've spent any time riding the El around the Loop downtown, you've noticed the ghost sign on the north side of the building at Van Buren and Wabash advertising an entire chain of Tiki bars right in downtown Chicago. Offering "Cantonese food, exotic drinks in a Polynesian atmosphere," the Pago Pago ghost sign is a landmark to any longtime Chicagoan. There doesn't seem to be any information about Pago Pago, aside from speculation and an attempt to track down what was once clearly a Tiki empire in the city's business district.
Sadly, the Pago Pago ghost sign will soon be no more. Roosevelt University is building a 32-story glass tower at 425 South Wabash Street, and while the facade of the building will be preserved as part of the construction, Tom Karow, Senior Director of Public Relations at Roosevelt confirmed to Chicagoist that the ghost sign will be destroyed as part of the renovations on the parcel of land. Demolition is on going, so Tiki lovers and fans of a Chicago long gone should enjoy the Pago Pago sign while it's still with us.