Purple State of John

2008-11-11 18:57:46

TASTE OF A DECADE: 1930′S RESTAURANTS

Filed under: Food
Posted by: John

As we head into ever darker economic times, haven’t you wondered what’s likely to become of your favorite Mexican or Thai restaurant?

The place to go for consolation is Restaurant-ing Through History, the blog for people who love to eat out, or used to. Lately, Jan Whitaker has been writing about the 1930’s, and it soothes the tips of my anxious tastebuds to know that numbers of restaurants actually grew in the Great Depression, even though tougher immigration laws shrunk the ranks of waitresses and cooks. Here’s a taste:

Even as the Depression deepens, the number of full-fledged restaurants continues to increase, from 134,293 in 1929 to 169,792 in 1939. Immigration slows in response to restrictive legislation of the late 1920s, reducing the supply of professional waiters and cooks. Female servers make up more than half of waitstaffs. The economical fixed-price meal, which had virtually been replaced by a la carte service, returns to popularity. Promotions such as “all you can eat” and “free coffee refills” are featured. After the repeal of Prohibition nightlife revives. Many diners, accustomed to speakeasies, show a preference for small, intimate restaurants. All-white interiors give way to imaginative decor which mimics ships or European courtyards. Federal financing facilitates modernization, encouraging restaurants to add streamlined fronts and air-conditioning. Deprived of bootlegging revenues, racketeers infiltrate unions and extort restaurants, dispatching picketers and stench bombs to those that don’t play along.

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