Porky - Rickey's Restaurant - Childrens Menu Mascot Mask (1960s) San Francisco, California

This is an original “Porky” children’s menu paper mask, issued in the early 1960s by Rickey’s Restaurants, a beloved Bay Area institution with locations in San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Marin County. The mask served double duty — both as a playful dining premium for kids and as a promotional tie-in to Rickey’s agricultural roots.

The character “Porky” was tied to Rickey’s Skyline Ranch in Palo Alto, a hog ranch founded by John Rickey, where as many as 1,000 hogs were raised at one time. By the mid-20th century, Rickey had expanded into the restaurant business, creating a chain of dining spots that combined rustic ranch identity with midcentury California dining culture. Locations included:

Rickey’s Studio Inn in Palo Alto

Rickey’s Rancho Rafael in Marin County

Rickey’s Rendezvous Room in San Francisco

Children visiting these establishments often received this mask with their menus, a whimsical souvenir meant to keep them entertained while promoting the restaurant brand. Printed on lightweight cardboard, it features the grinning pig mascot in chef’s hat, with restaurant branding boldly displayed — a rare surviving artifact of midcentury restaurant ephemera.

These masks are especially significant today, as they reflect the era when regional dining establishments embraced mascots and interactive premiums to stand out in a competitive food scene, long before fast-food giants standardized the “kids’ meal” concept.

Date: Early 1960s
Maker/Issuer: Rickey’s Restaurants (San Francisco Bay Area)
Mascot: “Porky” – tied to Rickey’s Skyline Ranch heritage
Size: approx. 10" x 10"
Rarity: Rare — regional restaurant premiums were often discarded after use, making survivors scarce