The Forrest City times., 1891-02-20
WAITS ON HIMSELF.
Ls,eAss Whsrc tho Bill is Made Out by sbs Mss
 Who Pays It.

1 LoneASs Whefc the Blla 10 Made Uus by S0o 1on | Who Pays It.
 Several lunch-rooms in New York supply quick service because the patron helps himself. All he Eas to do is to satisfy his appetite and thirst at buffets and then pay his check as he rushes out This remarkable sys- tenn is known as Trusting to-a- mau's- honesty plan of quick lunch service" As the names Of tho places imply, says correspondent, the owners trust entirely to Q mans honesty to be re- paid for what has been eaten. Many men throughout the lower part of the | city do not have time during their | business hours to take luncheon, espe- cially where they have to go into a restaurant. hang up their hats and coats. sit down at table and wait to be served, and to these men the new | plan Is boon.
 When a man plunges into one of these places at noon he makes n dash for one of the long counters where del- icacies arc plentifully spread. When his eye strikes somo tid-bit that suits his fancy ho helps himself to it, and at the same time orders a beverage from one of the white-aproned men standing about It is either coffee.
 tea, chocolate or milk. and in less
 than ten seconds is standing before him on the sideboard, not in dainty
 cup and saucer. but in big. plain mug.
 | Thus he stands up before the little | space on the counter which, for the
 time being, belongs to him. and
 munches away at his food with fre- quent sips from his mug.
 | When he gets his first selection
 down his throat he walks to another sideboacd and selects some other del-
 icacy. Or course there are clerks and
 cashiers in each of the restaurants, but none of them seem to pay any 1 attention to the wanderings of cus- l toner He Is free to go where he
 pleases and select erything aud
 anything he likes.
 In little place Of this sort in 1 Nassau street the customer walks to
 the desk after he has finished eating,
 or more probably while chewing his
 last mouthful, and says to the cashier: 1.-Two ham-sandwiches, custard and
 coffee"
 | "Twenty-fve conts.' says the cash | fer. and the bill is paid.
 The regular customers. however,
 know the prices of all tho goods, and
 walking to the counter lay down a l bill and say, Twenty out or thirty
 out as the case may be, or, perhaps.
 the exact change.
 | In Broadway lunch-rooms the GUS
 toner has to figure out his own bill.
 To every dish is attached card an-
 nouncing its price and on the walls are l hung placards giving tho prices of all l tho dishes. When a customer has Gn-
 ished his lunch he goes up to q little
 rack, takes out check from one ol l the rows. throws it on the cashier g 1 desk with tho amount of money il calls for and walks out. The correct
 ness of the check is never questioned. l The customers word is taken every
 time. The men who have put up their
 cash to back this system claim that
 the percentage of customers who de- | liberately cheat tho house and ge,
 more to eat than they pay for is SC
 small that it is hardly worth noticing. | This system. l think" said the | manager Of the Nassau street room,
 'is not new with America. It was | first introduced in Scotland many years ago. Do l lose much from beatsf | Well, less than you would suppose 1 Such meanness doesn't happen more than two or three times a week 1 am
 sure. l think a man who really Is a | thief and wanted to cheat some man i out of a dinner would sooner go into | big restaurant than cheat me-