Zinke's Drive In

Zinke's, at the corner of Colorado and Madison, is one of those businesses everyone knows. Like the sign shows, it's a shoe repair place (as opposed to a drive-in movie or burger joint). And as the online reviews will tell you, they'll also fix your purse or even add a notch to your belt. And they do it very well.

I think Zinke's has been in business for about sixty years. The neon sign, at least, was made in 1948. The other sign in the picture is newer.

According to this February 14th article about the demise of Bungalow News in Pasadena Weekly, "Plans to build a parking garage nearby at the southeast corner of Colorado and Madison Avenue fizzled several years ago...and would have destroyed two other Pasadena institutions - Zinke's Shoe Repair and The White Hut."

So the parking garage thing didn't work out, and the lot these businesses stand on is for sale. Which could mean Zinke's and the White Hut aren't yet out of danger. For now, you can still drive in and get a new notch in your belt, if your belly justifies such tightening.