The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
TEA ROOMS SPREADING HERE.
BUT TO PAY MOST or TEEM SERVE
LUNCHEON DISHES, roo.

With acme-wemsn Tnank ri 0esbsA
Gaining Men octtang thb HAptt. Tee
There 10 money IN tea for chs woman
who knows how 70 make 10 and eel 10,
Dozens Of women who moo pinned Their
faith to fancy work a. the most gsnteel
money making occupation have demon
strated this.
Tea rooms have become 90 plentfful m
and near the principal thoroughfares Lead
ing TO New York's shopping districts a. IA
suggest that before long America VIII top
the list Of tea drinking countries, instead
Of being fourth or Hfth. Recently several
advertisements asking for quarters suitable
for a tea room have appeared In tbs
daily papers, shops which formerly lever
dreamed Of including tea among their goods
have fitted up cosey corners with q tea
service, and still other shops which sell
tea in bulk employ demonstrators to brew
samples OF the various brands free for
customers.
About ten years ago two New York
women of fashion, long on a family tree,
but short on q bank account, electrified
their friends by announcing that o n q
/ certain date in the autumn they would
open . tea room In Fifth avenue. The
| place, they explained, would pattern after
a London tea room, and % well was the
novel scheme advertised Z advance that
on opening day tables were al . premium
and smart carriages and ~footrnen med tho
curb the length OF tho block.
Because Of tho social status Of the pro-
prietors and tho novelty Of the undertake
ing, news Of tho successful launching of tho
pioneer Firth ~ tea room reached
all the Newspaper reading women Of New
York, and from that moment tho popu-
larity OF fancy work With . certain CLASH
began TO mi
Fashion had sst tho seal 81 approval on
tea rooms, therefore the selling Of bca be-
came an eminently Eenteel ooCupasSon
which scores Of women, undeterrsd BY The
short lived career OF the pionser shop, have
! since followed to their profit. As an OBJ
ject lesson the frst Fifth avenu tea room
was valuable; as q profitable business ven-
ture IL was less successful, for the reason
that neither proprietor was competent to
assume the duties OF active manager. Con.
sequently a big slice Of tho profits was
paid out to high priced employees. At tho
end Of the first year the place was closed.
About the same time q leading hotel
started as a specially the serving OF after
noon tea; other hotels and first class restau-
rants fell into line q ear or 20 later, and
meanwhile tea rooms operated by women
began to make their appearance, slowly at
first, then faster and faster ae 1t was proved
there was money in the business, provided
the teapot was reinforced with other ao-
cessories.
A rough estimate gives nearly one hum
dred tea rooms now operated in Manhat-
tan by women. In one IT the Thirties not
far from Fifth avenue are three almost
within speaking distance Of each other:
in several streets close by there are two
tea rooms to q block, and further downtown
tea rooms are equally thick.
the great tea room belt IL from Forty
second TO Fourteenth street, Fourth 10
sixth avenue, but sven a. far uptown "a
University Heights the sign Of the teapot
is beginning 90 appear. There are non-
lovers Of tea who cynioally point out that
in some cases the establishment is really q
lunch room or a restaurant mAsquerading
under the name tea room 10 save the dignity
Of the proprietor. b this a. It may. IL is
certainly true that the New York tea rooms
are unique.
we have improved on the London vari-
ETY. explained the pretty proprietor Of
one of the most popular, where all sorts
Of lunch d~ainties, hot and cold, as we'll AZ
afternoon tea, are served at topnotch prices.
we had 10 In order 30 make a living. The
English woman drinks afternoon ten syste-
matically, regardless Of how the shops are
fitted up. So long a. her tea and toast are
FIRST class that n about all she asks.
Il dare say the proprietor Of an English
tea room knows 10 almost a dollar how
much money she will take in Of an aftsr-
noon selling tea, and in that case. Of course,
it is easy enough for her to gauge her ex-
sBut In New York IL e different. Il 10
only the really fashionable who have tha
afternoon tea habit, the ran and file drink
ing tea Internationally. As q result there
place one day and not more than half that
number the next. Then New York ono
are tickle and prefer TO change around
from one shop TO another, the oldest ah0p
always attracting the most customers.
rsas0 soT tSis I olsce HS = cs 1SNs nearly arI S si . 5
moor every day in the. week during the
winter is because IL IN odd. l haven an
tioues to sell, like some Of my competitors,
40 I make my place look as old fashioned
al possible.
THAT fireplace, l think, brings me more
customers than any other Of the appoint
ments. I rave a genuine log fire burning
in it from October until the first warm
spring days.
The fireplace was about six feet wide, built
on the plan of brick and stone fireplaces Of
Colonial days, and the walls Of the room
were in keeping, being constructed OF com-
mon red bricks undecorated a v for a
narrow plate shelf and about as rna az
the walls of a common cellar. Yet they
please visitors tremendously.
$50 stylish so odd ware the excIama-
tions oftenest heard, the tea drinkers also
e~nthusing over the beamed ceiling and
hardwood floor.
The passageway leading 70 this room,
which il situated in the rear Of a tall build
inR, Is level with the street, but visitors
must descend several steps before entering
the room itself. In addition to the after
noon tea the proprietor serves salads, sand
witches, pastries, hot Uoquettee, soups and
onelettes on small round tables decorated
each with O bunch OF flowers.
"New York women like 10 eat In odd
places and they are willing TO pay good
prices for good food smilingly repeated
the proprietor.
One OF the most prosperous and popular
tea rooms, patronized by a comparatively
fashionable class, occupies what wan once
an ordinary basement OF 6regulation private
Awanll;n~ vtnU k1tYna1 into \ haIainaln Cnn-