The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-04
A FOOD DELIVERY SYSTEM.
1t Didn't Work Very Well on the
First Trial.
New York ST.

Il regret to say" said Mr.. Gratebar,
that there may be some delay in the gen.
eral Introduction of my food delivery sys-
tenn for restaurants, on account of the dis
covery of a slight defect which was devel-
op6d only when the first plant installed
was put to the lest of actual use. But l
am confident that this defect Is one that
can be easily remedied. and that the delay
will be only temporary.
"The object of this system is to save
time and money by taking the guests Or
der and serving him with food without the
Intervention of walters. This is accom-
plished by means of wires and tubes run
ming from the tables in the restaurant to
the kitchen. Instead CT giving his order
to a waiter, the guest looks along row of
electric buttons arranged under the mouth
of the tube at the table at which he is sit
ting. and, having decided on what he
wants, he presses the button. Suppose
him TO be sitting at table 81 and that he
wants roast chicken. He presses the but
ton so marked and Instantly in the kitchen
a bell rings, and the order is displayed on
an indicator under the number 81. Simple
enough, surely.
THE man who has that tube in charge
puts the roast chicken on plate, and puts
the plate in the tube and starts it forward
by means of appliances which it is not es-
sential to describe. The food approaches
the table end of the tube at high rate of
speed. That end. which is elevated foot
or so above the table, so as not to waste
room. is provided with a series of carefully
adjusted springs intended 10 retard the
motion of the dish gradually, SO as to hold
it at the mouth of the tube within sight
ana easy reach of the guest. 1t was here,
at the delivery end of the tubes, that the
defect in the system was developed. A
| ii, l. \ I. e
explanation. The place in which this first
plant had been install ed was large res
iaurant with about fifty tables. The pro-
prIetor was an enterprising man, and he
| had had his place equipped throughout by
my system. Urged by his imiortunity 1
had hurried the plant to completion, and
| had permitted 1t to be brought into use be-
fore it Lad been thoroughly tested.
The pr0prietor had advertised the hour
at which the first trial would be made, and
the restaurant was crowded. The first
customer served was one If two men who
came in together and sat at the sametable.
| de was very jolly sort of n man, and he
! something that Ire and his friend were
| talking about. He pressed the button for
what he desired to order. and went on talk
ing to his friend. He had scarcely turned
| TO his friend again when-so suddenly does
! Gratebar's FOod-deliverv System perform
| Its wOrk-there was zip in the tube, the
| springs didn't hold, and
The man was IN hurry. but he wasn't
| in any such hurry as that, and he made a
! readful row. But the row he made
wasn't circumstance to what occu red a
moment later. While it had so happened
! that he was the first man served, orders
| had gone from every table and the men at
work in the supply department had been
| PROMPT in filing them. But none of the
delivery springs held, and the restaurant
was swept by cross-fre of everything on
the bill Of fare. Half minute after the
tubes opened all the people in tie restau-
| rant were under the tables.
but am not at all discouraged. am
| going right ahead with the work of per-
| feeling the system. and expect within a
year to have IL in use all over.the civilized
| wOrld "