The Toddle House chain occupied “cozy cottage” style buildings that were quite popular as restaurants, gas stations, and cabin camps in the Depression. On the outside Toddle Houses projected an exaggerated Colonial doll-house version of domesticity, with two oversized chimneys and a primly manicured lawn.
Inside, though, a very functional, almost clinical interior greeted customers: A back wall of stainless steel kitchen equipment, a counter with a dozen comfortless, backless stools (“in and out in 12 minutes”), bare windows, bathroom-tile wainscoting, and NO fireplaces. Open 24 hours, their menus were limited and featured hamburgers and breakfast at all hours.
Adding another touch of no-nonsense modernity was the “cashier machine” invented by founder and co-owner J. C. Stedman. Designed to keep the countermen (later women) from handling money, a mechanical box near the door received meal checks and payments in coins. After a counterman observed, via a mirror inside the box, that the customer had deposited the correct amount, he lifted a treadle behind the counter and the money and checks fell through trap doors into locked bins below (nos. 14 and 15 in the patent diagram).
As awkward as the contraption was – not giving change, easily circumvented by cheating employees, etc. – it remained in use at least until the 1940s and customers liked it. In Evanston IL customers felt let down, their trustworthiness in doubt, when the cashier machine was replaced by a standard cash register in 1945. Today, the old drop box system — in my view mistakenly considered an honor system — has become an object of nostalgia.
The first Toddle Houses were opened in Southern states, principally Texas and Tennessee, in the 1930s. The chain never made it farther west than Omaha. In 1945 the company expanded northward with the acquisition of 46 Hull-Dobbs Houses, which resembled Toddle Houses to a remarkable degree. Toddle Houses built later were larger and of a style referred to as “New South” shown here that was plainer and even more symmetrical. Some had dining rooms and the front entrances with copper-clad canopies were enclosed by glass vestibules.
In 1946 Toddle Houses created Harlem House, for Black customers who were not otherwise welcome. Eventually there were 12 such units in Memphis, the company’s headquarters. An Atlanta Toddle House was the site of a prominent civil rights sit-in demonstration in December of 1963, in which demonstrators including comedian Dick Gregory were taken to jail.
The original 24 × 12-ft Toddle Houses were prefabricated and shipped to their sites on flatbed trucks. It has been reported that their exteriors were of porcelain-coated steel for portability. Since this material is inappropriate for Colonial architecture and they do not appear to be shiny in pictures, I find the description given in Philip Langdon’s Orange Roofs and Golden Arches more convincing. He says that some Toddle Houses were “veneered with a cement coating scored to resemble brick.” Others were built of brick on site. Langdon also observes that because early Toddle Houses could be transported so easily, the possibility of moving them presented advantages when negotiating land leases. I discovered a number of them that were in fact moved.
In 1962 the Toddle House company was bought by Dobbs House which turned most of them into Steak N Egg Kitchens. In the 1980s, after another company, Carsons, bought out Dobbs, an attempt was made to revive the Toddle Houses, which by 1984 had dwindled to 11 units. Carsons built at least 45 new Toddle House units.
Though Toddle Houses no longer exist, many of the buildings continue as eating places or have been adapted for other uses, as shown in a blogpost by Dinerhunter.
© Jan Whitaker, 2014
It's great to hear from readers and I take time to answer queries. I can't always find what you are looking for, but I do appreciate getting thank yous no matter what the outcome.
Restaurant-ing through history 
Enjoyed a great breakfast in the early mornings on my way back the NNMC hospital after a night of bar-hopping in DC. Great memories.
We (brother and I) would visit The Toddle House occasionally as a special treat with our parents for that DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE! The location was in Detroit, I think it may have been located on Outer Drive Rd., near a couple of hospital locations (Mt. Carmel and Sinai Hospital). This was in the early 1960’s. Oh, would I love a piece of that pie again!!
I worked for the National Toddle House Corp in Memphis. I worked for the Construction Manager. My first job was to type a manual instruction book of how to build a Toddle House from the ground up which he dictated (with a pipe in his mouth) on a dictaphone. Every screw, etc was listed.
Grandmother work in Schenectady toddle house she made the pies and doughnuts also the doughnuts holes 1960 Across from ywca and I think bus station
I have a silver spoon…front has Picture of a house and says TODDLE HOUSE..on the back, some letters and XII….Wish I could have are there ❤
THANKs for sharing, Loretta! Happy New Year.
Michele
My remembrance of the Toddle House was the one on tenth avenue close to University in Minneapolis. I remember the cook opening a white bag,dumping diced hash browns into a small very hot cast iron pan, garnishing them from a shaker of what I believe was cayenne pepper, and/or possibly paprika, tossing them high into the air, where they gave off sparks while flying, catching all of them in the pan, which was a circuslike feat, and then serving them up. This was in the early 50’s, and I still long for hash browns of that style and flavor. Mike Racine, Champlin mn.
Pretty sure it was paprika on those diced hash browns. Cayenne would have been too spicy. Also loved the Dobb’s House shredded potatoes cooked inside a metal ring.
It was paprika!
Thank you for all the information! I bought a Toddle House restaurant-ware cup and saucer at an antique mall in Mesquite, TX, because I loved the graphics, but I hadn’t heard of it before. Now I know, and I wish I had been around to eat there.
My mother worked at the Toddle House in Tuscaloosa, Alabama close to the University of Alabama some 63 years ago. I have several photos of her in her Toddle House uniform, she was a good looking lady! I have often heard that this location was known as the Hook-up House given its close proximity to the university. My birth was the result of one of those possible hook-ups! The only problem with that is she truly did not know who my biological father was! Many years later, she told me whom she believed that individual was, only to learn that science proved her incorrect. I am extremely lucky being born to a single mother and her decision not to abort me. My only regret is that I did not discover my biological father until 14 years after his death. God rest their souls. I will always love you – mother.
She was obviously a wonderful woman and First Class Individual! She gave the world a grateful, kind, appreciative and loving Man!!
Thank YOU, for not just realizing it, but for also eloquently stating it!!
Loved reading about my favorite place to have a “hamburger“ for lunch when I was a kid. I lived in Grand Rapids, Mi. and went to Congress Grade School and as there wasn’t a lunch program, we all went home for lunch with the hour we were allowed. I was a “latch key kid” and so I went many a lunch hour to the Toddle House for lunch…so good and great memories. Downtown was another place called Kewpies and their burgers were so good…another great memory.👍40’s, 50’s 60’s…yes, I am very old…. Lol
As a student in near by Ashland, VA , I dated a gal who was a student in Richmond. We often went to the Toddle House in Richmond on a Saturday morning for those wonderful breakfasts of steak, eggs and great potatoes. Gee those were great days..
Pingback: 10 American Chain Restaurants You Just Can’t Find Anymore – YourWorlds
ANOTHER PERSON HERE THAT WENT TO THE Toddle House in Wichita Falls, Tx in the 50s after we got out of church.
Only thing I ever got was the Waffle or a delicious piece of the Choc. Cream pie.
The best Chocolate Cream Pie I ever had
Outstanding hamburgers, hash browns, and chopped steak. Great waffles and other breakfast treats.
Agree about the chocolate cream pie! In the late 50’s, early 60’s my late father (may he rest in peace) used to take my brother (1 year younger than I) and me to a Toddle House on the Kansas City Plaza in KC MO. We would always order the chocolate cream pie (before dinner — which my dear late mother did not appreciate). Years later I was driving in Blue Springs MO along HWY 7 and spotted a Toddle House!!! Unfortunately I believe both Toddle Houses are gone — not sure what they became. Will try to update next time I visit KC.
I HAVE SEARCHED HIGH AND LOW FOR THE TODDLE HOUSE STRAWBERRY PIE RECIPE. I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF ANYONE COULD SHARE THAT WITH ME.
THANK YOU
I too dream of their strawberry banana pie and pizza burgers. I lunched at the one in washington DC next to the chinese laundry where I worked in 1966. nothing compares today.
Pizza Burger? I don’t think so, Not at Toddle House.
Pingback: Steven Pressfield on The Artist’s Journey, the Wisdom of Little Successes, Shadow Careers, and Overcoming Resistance (#501) – LevelCycle
Pingback: Steven Pressfield on The Artist’s Journey, the Wisdom of Little Successes, Shadow Careers, and Overcoming Resistance (#501) - Saassale.com
Pingback: Steven Pressfield on The Artist’s Journey, the Wisdom of Little Successes, Shadow Careers, and Overcoming Resistance (#501) – My Blog
Pingback: Steven Pressfield on The Artist’s Journey, the Wisdom of Little Successes, Shadow Careers, and Overcoming Resistance (#501) - The World Page
Pingback: Steven Pressfield on The Artist’s Journey, the Wisdom of Little Successes, Shadow Careers, and Overcoming Resistance (#501) – DENISFAVRE.COM
Pingback: Steven Pressfield on The Artist’s Journey, the Wisdom of Little Successes, Shadow Careers, and Overcoming Resistance (#501) – CPA News Today
Pingback: Steven Pressfield on The Artist’s Journey, the Wisdom of Little Successes, Shadow Careers, and Overcoming Resistance (#501) – The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
There was a Toddle House in New Orleans close to Touro Hospital. I often ate there in the 40’s and 50’s when I was growing up. The food was great and I loved sitting at the counter! When I was a teenager we would often go there at the end of a date! Eggs or hamburgers – It was a really good restaurant. Thanks for all the info.
Kay. My dad, Ivan Browning, managed a Toddle House in Des Moines, 2122 W. Grand Ave. in 1929 – 1940 approx. just before he married my mother and joined the Army/WW11. She lived across the street in an apartment building and ate many meals there. That is how they met. I don’t think it is there anymore. I am working thru Ancestry.com to find everywhere he went and did, He’s been gone since 1985. Miss him!!!
Ate at that TH in the late 50s. My parents lived in the apartments across the street in the early 40s. Brings back memories of Des Moines. Recommend Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson.
Lots of people have requested the chocolate pie recipe. Does anyone have it or who the supplier of the pie might have been? I have lived in Irvington on 5e east side of Indianapolis. THere was a restaurant at Washington and Bolton just down the alley from our home.
My Mom and I used to go to the Toddle House at 63rd and Main in Kansas City, Mo., when my Dad was out of town. This was in the late 50’s and early 60’s. It was a special treat to eat there. The food was tasty and I remember the fried potatoes with the paprika. I think it became a Huddle House, but not sure what it is now.
Hey David! Where did you go to high school and when? I ate there with my Dad from the time that location opened until about 1952 or so.
I was taking NoDoz, painting and doing a bad job of being a student at Southwest and walked down to Brookside to the Toddle House in time for the drunks from The Pink Poodle to stagger across the street at about 2AM almost nightly. Banana Creme pie was to die for at 15. Lol. Looking to go back and build a boutique Inn with replica’s of Toddle House and Poodle down there. Doing the research.
I would like the recipe for the Toddle House Strawberry Pie Please.
I HAVE ALSO BEEN LOOKING FOR THEIR STRAWBERRY PIE RECIPE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE HAS THAT.
MANY THANKS
What years was Toddle House located in Birmingham, Alabama?
I don’t have that kind of detailed information about every Toddle House. All I can say for sure is that there was one in Birmingham in 1938, 1944 and in the 1960s.
There was one in downtown Homewood. Loved their hamburgers, potatoes and chocolate pie. Also enjoyed one at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. This was in the 50’s.
1957-8 I loved the T H near Rice INSTITUTE in Houston. I am sure the efficient layout & opertion helped steer me toward my industrial engineering major.
My mother and Father were Toddle House management in Dayton Ohio and my mom later in Augusta GA. I played out back of them as a child and worked in them as a teenager. I now am a Huddle House owner/operator. It literally is in my blood. Many fond memories of Toddle House. Where I learned to make a Toddle House omelette that Waffle House has bought the rights to and is now called that on their menus. My mother baked their famous pies and delicious homemade hamburger vegetable soup!
Interesting, thanks for sharing!
PLEASE IF YOU COULD SHARE THE STRAWBERRY PIE RECIPE. MY FAMILY AND I LOVED THE AUGUSTA TODDLE HOUSE, WHERE I GREW UP.
THANKS
Hi Karen, My mama worked at the Toddle House 1702 Walton Way in Augusta, Ga. for most of the 1960’s. What location did your mom work at? Like you I can remember growing up at the Toddle House. Some nights I even slept in the commissary kitchen if my mom pulled a double and worked 3rd shift.
In the mornings Lou and Jessie would come in and start making the pecan rolls, hashbrowns, pies, etc. to send out to the other locations, The Toddle House was in my Mama’s blood also.
My first burger at Toddle House was 1950, at 71st & Constance in Chicago. I was 15, and never recall a bad meal. Thanx for being there! Pete Furry
Loved the Grilled Cheese Sandwich cooked on the Waffle Iron.
I have a set of 8 silver coasters with the Toddle House picture under glass. There is a sticker on the back of each that reads – “In appreciation of your combined efforts & loyalty – 1956 – The National Toddle Toddle House Corp. I got these at an estate sell some years ago. Are they of any value?
I don’t know, I’d think they’d be worth something. Have you tried tracking e-Bay sales of Toddle House stuff?
I will try e-bay. Thanks, Jan
In 1962 I was in Winston Salem, N. Carolina. The Toddle Houses were small, no booths, that served the best Toddle fries & Toddle eggs with a ton of paprika. MMM. I would like to find one of those skillets that fold over and flip the contents back full of air. One beat egg would end up over 1 inch thick & 4 inches across. Does anyone know where I can get one of those skillets? If so call me 520 332 0250.
Jan, Is the photo of the Toddle house on a truck your photo? I am writing a book on diners and have a little section on other portable restaurants and would love to be able to include that photo.
I’ll email you.
I am trying to verify if there was a Toddle House in circa 1959 in Tuscaloosa near the University of Alabama?
I don’t know where the university is but there were three Toddle House locations in 1957: 936 20th S; 1821 29th av S; and 2010 Highland av.
I believe that all three of those locations were in Birmingham, AL.
There was a Toddle House located at 949 Forrest Avenue, Gadsden, Al. I own the building which has been remodeled but similarities are still present. The 2 fireplaces are still showing from outside though no longer functional & the original iron work on front of the building.
No New York comments? Toddle House in Jackson Heights (1940 or so), New York near a public school. Best place for eats.
They had the best chocolate ice box pie that ever was.
Yes, best chocolate cream pie and best banana cream pie.
Is the Toddle House building in Austin TX still standing at 29th and Guadaloupe? If so what is the business there now and/or the original address? Thank you
The old Toddle House building is still there, at W. 29th near the corner of Guadalupe. It is now Ruby’s BBQ, having previously been Fajita Flats. Though the building has been altered, the exterior is still somewhat recognizable as a Toddle House. You can view it using Google Earth.
When I was a UT student back in the 60’s we referred to that Toddle House as “Earl’s” The late night cook was Earl Arnette. He remembered what you would always order and remember students after they graduated. Fabulous late night food.
That would be W. 19th.
Yes…the 19th Street Toddle House was Earl’s…I lived almost next door in the middle ’60s….
My dad took me to the Toddle House on Delmar Blvd. in University City, MO (suburban St Louis) in 1954 and 1955 when I was 9-10, after our little league baseball games. The hamburgers, which were a quarter, were terrific, as was the chocolate pie. Most memorable though were the hash browned potatoes, which were an unusual but appealing reddish color because the cook sprinkled them with paprika while they were cooking on the griddle, The place seemed quaint and more decorous than other such establishments, which were often mobbed with truck drivers and high school kids. Many people miss and still talk about the Toddle House.
The potatoes were cubed as opposed to Dobb’s House potatoes which were shredded and cooked inside a metal ring.
My mom worked for toddle house on Ponce de Leon in Atlanta ga. And the one on peachtree. Then we transferred to the toddle house in Raleigh N.C. From there we transferred to the toddle house in Springfield Il. I was 15 when I worked there with my mom got me a job as cook. Gov. Adlai Stevenson came for breakfast, many times..many memories..
By chance do y’all have the recipe for their chocolate pie?
Do you please have the recipe for Toddle House Strawberry Pie. I have searched day & night for friends. I own one of the old Toddle House restaurants in Gadsden Al.
I worked for Toddle House for 20 years. Prepare your crust ahead of time and make sure it is cool. Make sure the strawberries are fresh. Use a strawberry glaze and mix the strawberries in. Make sure they are covered and mix well. Put the mixture on the crust and sort of mound it. T.H. Used heavy cream whipped. Spread across the top of pie. As much as you want.
I remember a Toddle House in Rochester,NY.. My mother and I had to take two city buses to get to it. One night we arrived at the Toddle House which was Located around Park Ave as I remember and my mother had forgotten her money. Did we go home and stay, NO! We got our money and took two buses to go back to enjoy our Toddle House burgers. We took two buses home as we were Happy. we had our TODDLE HOUSE burgers. Yum!
D
My mother worked at a Dobbs House in Houston back in the mid to late 60’s. I still have her pin from there. It’s where she met my biological father (though I’ve never met him) when they worked together. I’ve tried for years to find pictures of Dobbs Houses in Houston or of what the uniforms looked like just so I could see what my mom would wear. Any ideas where I should look? ke
Was it at the airport? If so, you might find something by searching for images of the airport. Otherwise, I’m afraid I don’t know of any special collection or site to recommend.
No, from what I understand it was downtown Houston.
There was a Dobbs House at North Braeswood @ Stella Link. I lived a block away. A young husband & wife team ran the franchise. Went to see the Harlem Globetrotters with the husband (don’t remember is name) and my dad. Could this be your parents?
Unfortunately no. My mother was a cook and worked the front counter. My biological father was a cook but they never got married. I’m not sure about how long they worked at the Dobbs house. I know we lived off North Main when I was a baby. And my biological father lived close to Shepherd Dr. so not sure if there was one near there or directly downtown.
Do you remember the name of the man by chance? The Harlem Globetrotter’s thing rang a bell with me just then.
I think we had place mats for the Toddle House diners in the late 80’s. I cannot believe if we rolled our silverware, or if we just did a set-up on a napkin!!! Anyone from the Dobbs owned Toddle House remember that?
It was a pleasure working when Dobbs owned it because we had uniforms provided, an allowance for laundering our own uniforms. We made a better than a minimum wage, plus tips, in addition to insurance options. When it was sold to DHG out of Connecticut, everything changed for the worst! No quality product, no benefits if any kind. They were horrible to work for. Their managers illegally adjusted your time card, but only enough to keep any government investigation! You had to take them to civil court, for which the knew you didn’t have the money or time for that!
They ruined a wonderful place to work and serve the public good food. They went into bankruptcy and closed the doors of Toddle House!
In the 1940’s my family frequently went to the Toddle House in Chattanooga on Sunday evenings. This was when they still had the honor system. The box was by the door.and as a kid I would drop the ticket and cash in the box – this was a big deal for me. I guess when WWII came along people were less honest – no more cash boxes!
My mom worked at a Toddle House in Wilmington, Delaware. Dad was a radio operator for TWA and dating another of the waitresses who called him “her pilot”. Mom and Dad were interested in each other and Mom gave her phone number to somebody a little louder than necessary. Dad called her for a date and the rest is history. Thank you Toddle House!
I like that “a little louder than necessary.”
My family owned the Toddle House. Nice to see it remembered
I would love to see the inside of the Toddle House diners that were in Tampa, Fletcher ave., and Temple Terrace, 56th street, Florida.
I worked at both locations. Anne Garrder was my manager. She unfortunately, passed away February 2015. Anne was the most pleasant manager that anyone could work for.
Anne came from Germany at 17 yeras of age. I think the horrible things she witnessed growing up in Nazi Germany, formed a kindness and happy greeting to all who came through the doors of Toddle House.
It would be wonderful to see the menu, as well as having the source and recipe for their famous malt Belgian waffle, served with hot syrup. The grilled bacon cheese tomato sandwich grilled with real butter, served with their vegetable soup was a favorite!
There is not a diner like this here in Florida anymore. Waffle house is disgusting! The food quality is horrible now that they were sold to a different owner.
I started working for Toddle House about 1985 on Fletcher Avenue, Tampa, Florida. Dobbs still owned the franchise then. I stayed with them for 10 years within two locations.
Unfortunately, when Diversified Hospitality Group from Milford, Connecticut bought it, it went to hell quickly. The managers adjusted your overtime and made sure it was under $200/so the EEOC wouldn’t investigate them!
They changed the quality of the food product.
I have very fond memories otherwise!
It’s funny I work there too I started as a prep cook at the Fletcher Avenue store sometime in 1985 heck maybe I know who you are I also worked at the 56th Street store which was across from Steak and Ale mini mini fond memories
Sorry the rebirth of Toddle House in the 80’s didn’t make it.
I went to Winston Salem, North Carolina in 1962 and enjoyed eating at the Toddle House restaurants. I was very impressed with the Toddle House eggs. The rounded sides that with oil and a well beaten egg flipped the egg back into the skillet increased the egg size many times larger. Are any of these skillets around? If not are there any pictures of one? I am interested in finding one. Please let me know. Thank you. Robert E. Widdows
I haven’t seen any pictures of a skillet like that however it’s possible that it was patented, in which case you might find a drawing by searching U.S. patents, which have been digitized.
I went to work for a Toddle House in Waco Tx in 1961. I was only 14. I worked for them off and on until I was in my 20’s. I loved working there and they had excellent food. I wish I could run across some of the recipes they used to use !!! If anyone has any, let me know !
Was that the one at 17th and Washington? And did you work the night shift or the day?
Hi My dad was a operations Manager for Toddle House in Dallas. I think he had 3 or 4 Rest. and he traveled by train as far as Des Moines, Iowa opening up Rest. ( T H ) I was about 8-9 years old and my Mother and I took a Golden Eagle Train to visit him in Des Moines one week end. I have seen a Photo of the T.H. in Waco at the Old Circle Grill, now the Magnolia. It was in the meeting Room? I have the Choc Ice Box Pie and the Hash Browns Recipes and a Photo of my Dads T H on Gaston Ave. It had 9 Stools . One thing I remember is he rolled his Hamburger meat into Balls and Smashed them on the Grill !!! tompkins1935@gmail.com 972 896 7421 Love to hear from you !!!
What was the street name at Waco TX?
17th and Washington, 1715 Washington to be exact. The tiny building still stands, perhaps not for long. A perfect example of the Toddle House iconic logo. The Waco Toddle House serviced patrons at the Town House Hotel and Motel. The burnt-out hotel section is now gone; the motel section is not long for this world, too. Google map, street view; in the upper left corner you can set the date back to 2007 for some endorphin satisfaction.
I used to stop at the Toddle House on Broadway in Lubbock, Texas, after I signed the radio station (KRKH-FM) off at midnight, for a chopped steak and egg breakfast.
The eggs were beaten with cream and soft-scrambled in real butter, and the chopped steak was really chopped, not ground.
I’d give just about anything for a breakfast like that again.
I remember the Toddle House on Hildebrand Ave in San Antonio sometime between the 1960’s and the 1980’s. I was impressed by the rapid cooking and stainless steel pan cleaning techniques of the one person operation.
me too
I used to love the Toddle House when I was a kid. The only two dishes I remember were excellent fried potatoes and chocolate pie.
The money machine predates me by more than a decade, so I never saw it — but it reminds me of the fast food places in Japan where you pick your dish from pictures on a wall, punch the number of the dish you want into the machine, and then put the needed money into the machine. The machine then spits out a ticket, which you hand to the waiter once you find a seat. Your meal shows up minutes later. I wonder if it was inspired by the Toddle House machines.
Informative post—I just stumbled across your blog last night and knew it was a winner right off the bat! At any rate, I’d love to see one of the cash machines in real life. To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never even seen one at a museum!
One of your many intriguing, enjoyable blogs. I am particularly interested in the cash machine and the portability and building technology for the restaurants.
Thanks. I wish I could have found out more about the buildings’ manufacture or who designed them. As for the cash machines, I suspect Stedman wanted to see his invention go into general use but I have no idea if any other businesses ever used it.
Excellent. Thanks Jan