Intown Ace Looks for Ways to Get Noticed

With approximately 30,000 cars zipping past Intown Ace Hardware in Decatur, Georgia, every day, co-owner Dave Jones wants them to slow down enough for his business to get noticed.

“We are always looking for a way to turn heads toward our store,” he says.

One solution is a giant, metal, brightly colored rooster that sits just a few yards off the side of the road. It frequently shows up on the store’s Facebook page, often dressed for a holiday or special occasions.

Drivers who miss the rooster are likely to see the two giant Adirondack chairs on the other side of the storefront. “We have a lot of parents stopping to put their kids up there and take their picture,” says Jones.

Besides being local curiosities, the rooster and giant chairs also serve as big cues that Intown Ace Hardware is more than just an average hardware store—which is exactly the message Jones wants to send.

The store has one of the largest and most diverse collections of lawn and garden goods and patio furniture in the area, as well as expansive niches in housewares and gifts.