The red-and-white sign that once illuminated the George the Chili King diner near the intersection of Hickman and Merle Hay roads was pulled from its pole on Thursday afternoon by a crane and a team of workers.

After lowering the sign onto a trailer, the crew pulled the sign’s white pole, too.

Kyle Meadows, an account executive for Signarama and Yesco Sign and Lighting Service, told the Business Record that the building’s owner wants the iconic sign to be refurbished. Meadows said the crew was just there to retrieve the sign and did not speculate about the building’s future.

Crew members said the sign weighed 1,200 pounds.

The former restaurant was on a list of “endangered buildings” that the Des Moines Heritage Trust released in May. The list was released as a way of shining a spotlight on historically and culturally significant buildings at risk of being demolished.

George Karaidos Jr., the diner’s owner, died in October 2019. The restaurant closed a short time later. Polk County real estate records list Karaidos and his wife, Karen Karaidos, as the title owners of the property, which is located at 5722 Hickman Road.

On Thursday, picnic tables remained just outside the building. Signs listed chili at a price of $3.59 or $8.09 for a pint. Patio-style lightbulbs dangled from lines above the property. Karaidos and the diner were featured in Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in October of 2014.

Brian Brunk, who lives on 62nd Street in Des Moines, took a break from work to watch the sign being removed on Thursday. Brunk said he has lived in the neighborhood since 1977 and remembers the diner particularly well in the early 1980s, when it would frequently host classic car nights.

“It was always busy with classic cars. It was a place people would come and have the old carhop service,” said Brunk, whose favorite menu items were the chili and the handmade tenderloins.

He remembers taking his son there for lunch. Brunk said he was sad to hear the building could potentially be demolished.

“I understand the owner making their decision, but I know a lot of people would wish that it could be restored and brought back to life in a different purpose, perhaps, another restaurant,” Brunk said. “It’s one of those icons of the neighborhood that’s been around for quite some time, and I know a lot of people are going to be sad to see it go. And I’m sure others will be happy to have something in this place.”

The Business Record will continue to report on the future of the properties listed on the Des Moines Heritage Trust’s list of endangered buildings.

– Kathy A. Bolten contributed to this story.