Seldom am I so shocked by an abused apostrophe

Walking down Jesmond Road in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, on Sunday 15th April (Easter Sunday), we passed Santana's Pizzeria. This is not the most attractive of eating establishments, but its chalkboard sign caught my attention more than the poorly maintained decor.

The proprietors were offering a reasonable value multi-part meal:

Three cours'e meal

How did an apostrophe get there? I tried to wipe it off, but it was too engrained to do so without licking my finger, which I had already sullied on their board. Have we degenerated to a level where the letter S cannot be written without a precautionary apostrophe at one side or another, in case it's correct?

23 April 2001
Ashley Frieze