Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-23
THE FOOD-SAVING PROBLEM IN
"POPULAR-PRICE' RESTAURANTS
Small Waste Before the War; Small Reduction of
Consumption Possible Now-Patrons Haven't
Learned to Like Meatless Days

Tbis js the second Of a series Of articles
dcaIiHG lchh the toOd.SdCing campaign.
NIFTY THOUSAND persons board in
II Philadelphia's cheap restaurants and
lunch rooms Some readers may think II
little uukind and hard to call them
"chean". MANY say il would be nicer to
resort to euphcmism and call them low
priced
But cheap is the word. They are cheap
and the owners don't object to the use OF
the term The term "popular-price' as
applied to restaurants describes those be-
tween the first and second class above ana
the cheap class below. In the ordinary
meaning Of the word the cheap places are
described by the word popular" for that
is exactly what they are. They are the
peoples eating places Fifty thousand
nersons get three meals day and about
800. 900 others get one meal daE-geher-
ally at noon-in them.
That means approximately 100000 meals.
1t sounds big. 1t is big. Philadelphia Is
big and getting bigger constantly ii tnere
is a scul in Philadelphia there are l,soo'ovo'
There are nearly 1000 places to eat III thls
CITY The cheap restaurants operated by
two corporations alone serve an average
of 225, 900 meals day.
The problem of food conservation for
the sake Of democracy is nowhere as II Is
in the cheap eating places, except IN she
homes of the very smallest incomes be
fore the war there was minimum or
waste and extravaganza in these places.
There is now minimum Oh reuue'ioi VI
food consumption.
The saving of butter in the lowest priced
restaurants and lunch rooms is about per
cent or 1900 pounds. The homogeneous
have always watched butter. They nave
had to, and they have had to watch even
more carefully since the European war
brought high prices. When meals are
served at low figures and with low margins
Of profit a piece of butter weighing aDout
a thirty1Second of a pound ana costing
around a cent and half counts heavily.
Most of these places have fixed rules for
butter serving and the rules are hXed with
the low prices CT the meals and the cost of
producing them we'll in mind Two pieces
is and for a long time has been the average
service of butter TO a meal
Tippers Favored
Most patrons have contented themselves
with that small quantity rather than go
elsewhere and pay higher prices The price
| of the meal was so small that the patron
oa,,I1 NOT we'll ask for extra butter; also,
| the quantity. of butter was so small that
| the mana cement could not well reduce 1t.
| In many of these places strict rules govern
| the butter service, but there has always
haan more or less violation of such rules.
Now there is very little. Walters and
| waitresses have their favorites among the
| natrons They have their likes and dslkes
4
| inst as other folks do. Some like the
natrons that give them tips. Crhe nickel
| is the standard tip in these restaurants
But the Upper is not the only patron that is
| liked and favored. The man or woman with
| a pleasant greeting stood good chance of
| yettine extra butter. Walters and wait
| Tesses used all sorts Of devices to slip
| an extra piece of butter to eaters they
| liked without the managers or head wait
| er's knowledge. If they were caught their
nav was "docked" or they were at least
| sco,ded or .called down." and sometimes
| they we're discharged
| That serving Of extra butter has been
almost entirely stopped. Managers and
| head walters simply watch more closely
and deal more severely with culprts. Some
| of them who were liberal-minded used to
| exnect a certain amount of extra butter
| 10 he given away and said nothing sc
| long as a waiter or waitress did not over.
do the thing. Now. the rules are strictly
| enforced.
some places serve bread already buttered
| hut these are very few. The customers
don't like the idea and 1t Is only in yer,
chsap places that the plan can be uset
| 10 4 Considerable exte0E
The reduction Of sugar consumption n
i the chap places = ~ m0rs than ! pe
y eent m rob ~ ~ shen 'thet 'nranY