Retro Faucet Parts bills itself as a mom and pop shop. This local, family-owned business was established in 1975. They pride themselves on being able to provide customers with just about any plumbing supply you need, whether it is for a fixture that no longer exists or it is the a plumbing part that is the latest technology. These specialists have provided parts for remodels of the Biltmore, Julian Price Mansion, and Chinqua Penn- to name a few of the most well known places to use their service. Retro Faucet is located at 3800 Spring Garden Street, right where Spring Garden connects to Wendover Avenue. By the looks of the exterior of the cinder block building, there is little doubt about what they sell. It is a little bit harder to determine the main entrance, which happens to be on the Cranbrook Street side of the building. It is the golden yellow door, to the right of Elmer Fudd and the painted sign that says ENTRANCE. As you approach the building, imagine the soundtrack to your favorite theme music from the Nintendo Mario universe.
That mural of Mario the Plumber is the work of Joey Allen Creations. Joey is a self-taught pop artist from Winston Salem. He is known for his murals that combine bright colors, pop characters, and modern icons. If you know Joey's aesthetic, you can see how the above artwork fits right in! We wish Joey had dated the mural. It can't be that old, because the Google map photo still shows the building as painted white. We need to check out the inside, being prepared to save Princess Peach or Princess Toadstool, or at least collect some gold coins. There are 8 leadership goals to be learned from Super Mario Brothers: Face the unknown; be positive; adapt to changes; establish short and medium term goals; clearly define the long term goal; seek self confidence; be a team player; and finally, celebrate and compliment.*
If Retro Faucet Parts runs their business following these Super Mario lessons, they are sure to be around for another 46 years!
*reference HERE.
I, of course, am more drawn to the Looney Toons side of the mural.
Posted by: William Kendall | Tuesday, February 09, 2021 at 08:43 AM