Search Results for: first restaurant
America’s first restaurant
It’s always risky to declare that anything is a first. In some ways Julien’s Restorator, newly opened in July of 1793, may have been similar to the taverns that had been in business in Boston for ages. Almost any kind … Continue reading
Filed under restorators
Black waiters in white restaurants
Waiting in restaurants was one of the best jobs available to Black men after slavery. Black waiters dominated Northern eating places in the 19th century, but were squeezed out in the 20th. Continue reading
Filed under racism, restaurant customs, waiters/waitresses/servers
Restaurant as community center
The first Salad Bowl restaurant, at 4100 Lindell in St. Louis, was established in 1948 by two former employees of Miss Hulling’s Cafeteria downtown. The husband and wife owners were mainly concerned with making a living for their family and … Continue reading
Celebrity restaurants: Here’s Johnny’s
Restaurant chains whose owners and franchisees hope to succeed based on a connection with a celebrity are often disappointed. It’s clear that a famous name is not enough, leading to the failure of many that have depended too heavily on … Continue reading
Native American restaurants
Although there has been growing interest in exploring native foodways in the past twenty or so years, it seems there’s been little research into the history of Native American restaurants, that is, those serving traditional Indian dishes and/or those run … Continue reading
Restaurant ware
Fine table settings were not to be taken for granted in pre-Civil War American eating places. In 1843 an English visitor was delighted to find a Charleston hotel with “clean table cloths and silver forks.” He recommended the Jones Hotel, … Continue reading
Filed under chain restaurants, elite restaurants, lunch rooms, restaurant customs, tea shops
Restaurant-ing on wheels
Will more people turn to food trucks for away-from-home meals this summer? With the cancellation of so many outdoor festivals and events, food truck operators may want to set up on city streets instead. But in many places they may … Continue reading
Filed under alternative restaurants, diners, food, odd buildings, patrons, restaurant issues, roadside restaurants
Women drinking in restaurants
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the sight of women drinking in public brought up the same kind of issues about women’s status in society as did the struggle to get the vote. According to deep-seated beliefs about … Continue reading
Filed under patrons, restaurant controversies, restaurant issues, women
Green Book restaurants
Interest in historical Green Book guides for Black travelers has been growing in the past decade and the new movie of this title will surely increase it. The Green Books’ slogan, “Covering the United States like a blanket,” nicely sums … Continue reading
Filed under guides & reviews, patrons, racism
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Restaurant-ing through history 