Green Bay jewelry store owner finds hidden gem after tearing down building

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – A hidden gem in Green Bay has been discovered by accident.

A jewelry store owner thought he was simply tearing down an old building, but found a Coca Cola mural concealed between two of his stores.

Jim Meyer’s father started the business in their living room in the 1950s. Meyer and his family lived in the back of the house and the jewelry store was in the front.

Jim eventually took over the business in the 1970s. He and his staff were operating out of two buildings for years.

Meyer Jewelers was suffering during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the store closed down in March.

Their office building was getting older, so Meyer decided to tear it down, and that’s when he made the shocking discovery.

“I was surprised to see it. When we tore down the building, we noticed Oh my God, it’s a Coca Cola sign.”

The mural has faded, but you can still see the words “delicious and refreshing” as well as the brand’s iconic logo.

Dennis Jacobs is the Local History and Genealogy Library Associate at the Brown County Library’s central location. Meyer Jeweler’s current building used to be a grocery store, Blazei’s Super Market. Al Blazei owned the store in the Astor Park neighborhood. Jacobs says Blazei was well-liked in the community.

“He had a number of ads and it seems like a pretty popular place. The grocery stores in that time period were neighborhood markets, we didn’t have big chains like we do today.”

If you haven’t seen the mural yet, you should prepare to make a trip soon. Meyer is planning to debut a sign this year that will replace it.

“It won’t be as big as the Coca-Cola mural, but it will still be a good size,” says Meyer.