Studio Zahn

The art of illustrator / designer Ted Zahn. I draw the historic American places that people love.

01/12/2026

Savoy Tivoli • North Beach • c.1907 🇮🇹🍻🎭🎸 The Savoy is one of a kind. When I lived in North Beach, I always loved taking visitors here for a nightcap. It’s been reinventing itself for a century plus … boarding house, Italian community hub, saloon, Beat poet cafe, punk venue (Jefferson Airplane and The Ramones played here), even the original home of Beach Blanket Babylon. Today it carries all those eras at once. And when those windows are open, the history, music, and chatter spill out and pull you right in. 🙌

01/10/2026

🚘📸 Hwy. 97, Central Oregon, 12/30/25

01/08/2026

🚘📸 A quick Central Oregon roadie over the break took me through little Moro. The former Moro Cafe here grabbed my 👀 … once a thriving community hangout, its been shuttered since 2014ish.

01/07/2026

I’ve been on a bit of an IG posting hiatus through the holiday madness … with a backlog of new drawings. My Chicago friends asked me for Vaughan’s, the Irish Pub and great little Lakeview hang, dating to 1996. Not much Dry January going on in here! ☘️🍺💚

08/18/2025

Busy Monday in my studio, hampered by two of the laziest interns you could ever employ.

08/16/2025

El Cholo • Los Angeles • c.1923 🌮✨ For 100 years, El Cholo has been serving up some of LA’s most iconic Mexican food. Family-run by the Borquez and Salisbury clans, it’s been credited with introducing staples like burritos, nachos and green corn tamales to generations of Angelenos. Warm hospitality, colorful murals on the walls, and recipes passed down for a century = an LA legend!! 🙌

07/25/2025

John’s Roast Pork • South Philly • c.1930 🐷 Philadelphia’s sandwich culture is legendary, and it goes well beyond the cheesesteak. John’s is a family-owned shop that mastered the art … thin-sliced, lightly-spiced, impeccably baked local bread, James Beard Awards, and a massively dedicated following. The steaks are top notch … but I couldn’t not get the pork. Wow. 🙏

07/17/2025

… The best pizza in my hometown of Racine, Wisconsin is also possibly the best tavern-style pizza anywhere in the world.

06/11/2025

Buckhorn Exchange • Denver • c.1893 🦌🥩🍺 I’m spending some time these days with the Mile High City, which I’m visiting soon, and have actually lived briefly, way back when. The Buckhorn is Denver’s oldest restaurant—once a favorite of Teddy Roosevelt—a true Wild West time capsule. Opened by Henry “Shorty Scout” Zietz, a scout for Buffalo Bill, the Buckhorn has served miners, cowboys, railroaders, and presidents. Its walls are packed with over 500 mounted trophies and Old West memorabilia. And yes, you can still order Rocky Mountain oysters. And when the opening date of any establishment starts with an 18xx, please count me in. 🙌

05/13/2025

John’s of Bleecker Street, West Village, c.1929 🍕💯 The word “iconic” gets thrown around a lot these days, and I’m definitely guilty of it … but when it comes to pizza, this place lives up to it. Serving locals (and a who’s who of celebs) for almost 100 years. OMG that crust 🙌

04/21/2025

Kay’s Bar • c.1934 🍺 It had been way too long since my last visit to Kay’s when I dropped into this Sellwood institution the other day. Not that much had changed … in the best sense possible. A haphazard mix of PDXers, vintage beer signs everywhere 😍, carpet, tall naugahyde booths, stiff old fashioneds … it was 75 degrees outside but I liked it better in here. I had to draw it up immediately ✍️❤️

Address

Lake Oswego, OR
97034–97035

Website

http://studiozahn.co/

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About Studio Zahn

Studio Zahn is the endeavor of designer, illustrator and photographer Ted Zahn.

I've spent more than 20 years professionally in design, advertising, and branding. I’m also a lifelong student of history and pop culture. Years ago I got a bug for discovering and documenting vintage storefronts and neon signage. I love the visual character and connection to history that they bring to our streets. I’ve had the good fortune to travel America’s backroads and Main Streets with my camera, even publishing a book along the way. As a professional designer and illustrator, I began to draw these storefronts as well, going through a painstaking process of recreating their architectural detail and signage. As the big-boxing and Amazon-ing of American retail marches on, these neighborhood classics deserve to be elevated and preserved. Through Studio Zahn, I create these original works for sale, as well as partner with select clients for branding and design work. Feel free to contact me with any questions or special requests.

Cheers! Ted