Driving down the main drag of North Broadway in Rochester, Minnesota, it’s hard to miss Struve’s Paint and Decorating, which grabs your attention with a giant 14-foot paint can on the roof. Owners Bruce and Cheri Struve say the paint can has been a part of the store’s facade since the 1950s and has been updated throughout the years with different wraps.
“In 1997, we had a full wrap added to the can that included a mural with local buildings like the Mayo Clinic and Kahler Grand Hotel,” Bruce says. “The work was done by an artist who kept the canvas wrap in his studio over the winter and worked on it there.”
Along with attracting attention from passersby, the paint can has been the source of fun stories.
“In 1986, the can blew off the roof in a storm. Our store was next to a bar, so all the bar patrons were confused as to why there was a giant paint can out on the boulevard,” Bruce says. “The police had to chain it to a tree to keep it from rolling away until we could get to it. While it was being reinstalled, I had several customers tell me they were missing the turn to the store because they couldn’t see the landmark can on the roof.”
The store’s bright blue clock and red awnings also make it hard to miss, but the paint can is the star.
“When I run into people who don’t know our store, I show them a picture and they immediately recognize the paint can,” Cheri says. “It is a great way to introduce our company to them.”
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