Walk down any decent café or bar strip in Auckland and you’ll notice the same thing: the businesses that feel busiest and most inviting almost always have a lit-up “Open” sign in the window. It’s a small detail, but it does more for foot traffic than most shop owners give it credit for. Here’s why it’s worth the investment — and what to think about before you order one.
It answers the one question that stops people walking in
Even when your lights are on and your door is unlocked, a closed-looking shopfront makes people hesitate. A neon Open sign removes that hesitation instantly, from across the street or through a fogged-up window on a cold Auckland morning. For cafés and bars especially, it signals “come in” the moment someone glances your way — before they’ve even read your menu board.
It works as branding, not just signage
A generic plastic light-box “Open” sign gets the message across, but it doesn’t say anything about who you are. A custom neon version, in your own font and colour, does double duty: it tells people you’re open, and it tells them what kind of place they’re walking into. A moody amber glow reads differently to a bright pink one, and either can be matched to your existing branding rather than looking like an afterthought bought from a hardware store.
It photographs well — which matters more than people expect
Window signage is one of the most-photographed parts of a small hospitality business, whether it’s a customer’s Instagram story or your own social content. A warm, glowing neon sign in the window gives you a reliable, good-looking backdrop for photos any time of day, without any extra setup. It’s a small piece of ambient marketing that runs itself.
What to think about before ordering one
Wording — “Open” is the classic, but plenty of cafés and bars opt for something with a bit more personality that still gets the message across at a glance.
Size and placement — a sign that’s easy to read from the footpath, not just up close, makes the biggest difference to passing foot traffic.
Colour against your window and interior — the same sign can look completely different against a dark fit-out versus a bright, white-walled space, so it’s worth matching the glow to your interior rather than picking a colour in isolation.
Power and mounting — most Open signs are simple to mount and plug in, but it’s worth deciding up front whether it’s going in the window facing out, or on an interior wall visible through the glass.
Get yours made to fit your space
At Neon Design NZ, we design and build custom neon Open signs for cafés, bars and retail shops across NZ — you choose the wording, font and colour, and we handle the craftsmanship, matched to your brand and sized for your window. If you’ve got a space that’s ready for one, get in touch with a rough idea of size and colour and we’ll take it from there.
