Tiles from iconic Ruby’s Diner in Huntington Beach up for sale, to benefit local nonprofits

Those who want tiles from the iconic red roof of the former Ruby’s Diner at the end of the Huntington Beach Pier are now in luck.

Ten tiles, featuring custom-painted artwork from local artist Melissa Murphy, go up for sale Friday at 10 a.m. in Visit Huntington Beach’s new online gift shop at shopsurfcityusa.com.

The tiles, available while supplies last, cost $250 each. Those who purchase a roof tile can choose to have their donation go to one of five local nonprofits: the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, Huntington Beach Art Center, Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, Surfrider Foundation North Orange County or the Therapeutic Riding Center of Huntington Beach.

Due to the delicate nature of the tiles, they must be picked up in person at the Visit HB office downtown.

Tiles from the former Ruby’s on the Huntington Beach Pier will be available starting Friday morning.

(Courtesy of Visit Huntington Beach)

Visit Huntington Beach CEO Kelly Miller said the organization has worked with Murphy, better known as “Melissa Murals,” in the past. She painted each tile with a black-and-white interpretation of the pier.

“She came to us and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got these tiles, what do you want to do?’” Miller said. “We just think it’s great. Great projects and promotions like that are best when they start organically. She did such a great job. To own a piece of the historical Ruby’s roof for a fraction of the cost, and have a little personal art on there, we think it’s pretty cool.”

The sale is part of Visit HB’s fourth annual “Show Your HB Love” campaign, which has been going throughout February in support of Surf City’s businesses. It offers hotel packages, specials from local businesses and more.

Miller said the campaign, which encourages visitors to use the hashtag #ShowYourHBLove, was born during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ruby’s Diner at the end of the Huntington Beach Pier closed in 2021.

(File photo)

“We were trying to figure out a way to do anything during COVID,” Miller said. “A lot of marketing dollars, PR efforts were put on hold for a while. We wanted to get people stoked about coming downtown and spending money in Huntington Beach. It was really a pretty cool initiative when we kicked it off.”

Ruby’s Diner on the pier first opened in 1996 and closed in 2021. The red roof was iconic, and now Visit HB is offering fun slices of memorabilia.

“We’re proud of our community and the talents that we have here, and the history that Ruby’s was,” said Clara Tsang, the organization’s vice president of public relations and communications. “It’s just something that we want to celebrate. Being able to give back to the community, it’s another huge plus that we’re excited about.

“To be able to wrap up the month of February, where we encourage everyone to show their H.B. love, this is just really our cherry on top for this month and this campaign.”