You've seen them.

They're all over the place--old Captain D's turned into Chinese restaurants, Omelet Shoppes turned into Bottle Stoppes--what in polite circles are known as "adaptive reuse projects" when done nicely, but when done badly in the more gritty parts of town are just simply fodder for website hijinx.

SUCH IS THE CASE with a site sent to me by Dr. Weevil's evil brother and NASA employee Steevil--Not Fooling Anybody--subheaded as "a chronicle of bad conversions and storefronts past."

Each site has a photo of what it is now, what it was, as well as design commentary. Some good ones include the Gilstrap Chiropractic (formerly a Kentucky Fried Chicken), Master Donut (used to be a Mister), and proving how far the Planet Hollywood franchise can fall, there is Gino's East in Chitown. One wonders if there is a corresponding Gino's West in an equally attractive spot in Cicero or Oak Park.

Anyway, many thanks to Steevil, who says he came across the link while NOT surfing a particular website devoted to naughtiness and pictures of women clothed in wet tee shirts or sand or Scotch tape, while he was NOT at work.
posted by Terry at 8:43:00 AM