San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-09
HANDY RESTAURANTS.
coNvENlsNcEs FOR WOMEN WHO
GET HUNGRY SHOPPING.

,ovation, but Has Become Popular.
Several years ago big retail dry goods
house tried the experiment of providing
a restaurant for its customers. 1t took
ND a large section of one floor, and was
fitted with polished hard wood tables.
A space was reserved on the upper floor
for the kitchen, and an army of girls
was employed to act as walters. The ex-
pertinent was success almost from the
start, as the members of the firm knew
it would be.
Prior to that time customers had been
interrupted frequently in the midst of
their shopping by the necessity of going
out to lunch As there did not happen
to be a good restaurant in the vicinity.
.i.is always meant a considerable loss Of
| time, and, as a rule, the shopper would
not return that day. If she desired to do
| any other shopping she would go to some
store more convenient to the restaurant
| where she lunched.
By opening restaurant in the store,
| therefore, the firm was enabled TO keep
| its customers, and the latter were not
interrupted so much in their buying.
Furthermore. many persons came to the
restaurant and were induced to purchase
| by the sight of the things around them,
so that the direct profits of the restaurant
were only a small portion of the entire
profits that came from it in indirect ways.
The restaurant itself was an attrac-
ton. 1t was large and airy, and a cheer
fr,1 ,,1o 70 c,f IN M
tired out from standing around bargain
counters or walking from one place to
another found it very pleasant to come
here and rest 1t often happened that
the lunch was considerably prolonged
by the chatting of friends who met at
the tables. The food and the way in
which it was prepared did credit to the
place, and the prices compared favora-
bly, with the prices of the other articles
for sale there.
PROFITS FROM TIE START.
The restaurant had not been long in
existence before the firm concluded to
secure still further profits from it. They
| did this by establishing in a separate
room a restaurant for their employees.
| The same kind of food that was served
| in the public restaurant was served to
the employees, but at reduced prices. AS
nearly as could be figured the employees
obtained their lunch at cost. The only
proviso made by the firm in regard to
| this was that those who took advantage
| of their restaurant would not be allowed
to leave the establishment until the
days work was over. The employees
were not compelled to patronize the res
tsurant, and if they wanted to go else
where were allowed the same time as
| usual; but it was soon shown that the
| firm had made no mistake, because only
small number of the employees wen:
outside.
A lumber of other dry goods houses
have established restaurants. One Of
these is very excellent, and compares
| favorably with fiTst-class restaurants
elsewhere. The bill of fare is elaborate,
the service is very good, and every at
tempt is made to please. At the same
| time the prices are below those charged
for similar service in regular restaurants
A reporter visited a number of these
restaurants the other day. The one last
| referred to was found to be the most at.
tractive. 1t is large room on the sec
ond floor of the building, away from the
| noise of trade, and is very nicely fitted
up. There is a velvet carpet on the
floor, and the furniture is all appro-
pirate. A magnificent carved oak side
board stands in one corner of the room,
and is made brilliant by handsome uten-
sils Of chased and engraved silver and
elaborate pieces of cut glass. The table
| cloths are of the finest linen. All the
china and silverware compare in quality
with those found in any frst-class
restaurant. There is only one man in
the restaurant and he is the cashier.
MODERATE PRICES.
The manager is a woman and the
walters are all young girls. The person
| who selected these evidently had an eye
to the aesthetic, as they are all pleasant
to look at. They wear uniform black
! dresses, with pretty white lace caps and
aprons. The reporter was looked at
| with surprise when he came in, and the
manager came up to him at once and in
formed him that gentlemen were not
allowed there unless accompanied by
ladies' An exception was made in his
| case, however, as he was simply looking
| for information.
An idea of the prices can be obtained
from this list of extras on the bill of
fare: Chicken soup, 20 cents; lobster a la
Newburg, 80 cents; lamb chops, bread