The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-10
CAFETERIA KING TELLS
OF RICHMOND VENTURE
y. 4. Nadon, After Year In City, Saws
Enterprise rs One of His Most
Successful Efforts.
GOVERNMENT LIKES TT
WIN Follow Example by Establishing
Similar Eating Places In Washing
ton and Norfolk for Benefit of Sol.
diers and Employees.

A little more than year ago a big
tourist car. covered with the dust and
Crime of the long drive from Chicago.
rolled up in front of the Jefferson A
stranger, who seemed TO almost COM
1ortably MI the car, and lady, evil
GENTLY his wife. passed through the
Fotunda and down the marble stairway
TO the office and registered; y. F. Ma
don and wife. Chicago. Ill"
HAT said a travelling salesman TO
the clerk. who had Just assigned the
rouple 70 q suite Of rooms looking out
on beautiful tree empowered Frank
Iin street that ia Joshua Nadon, the
Cafeteria King He is the mlkado OF
cafeterias all over the country"
The clerk expressed mild interest
Meanwhile MFR. and Mrs. Nadon were
upstairs discussing Richmond
1T is a beautiful city" said Mrs
Sadon. II made some inquiries from
a lady and I cant see why you won't
open a Cafeteria here, Unless ! an
nightly mistaken, It is a fine neld and
the people are In a class all by them
Selves"
ON TO Washington was Mr.. Nadons
laconic reply, for he was about TO
consummate a lifelong dream--start
great continental restaurant at the
national capital, with Hungarian or
rhestras.r oofg Arden.s rathskeller and
mammoth food caravausary, And he
did not want 10 lose any time. Mrs
Nsdon, however, had persuaded her
liege lord 20 bring her here so that
she pisht view the many points OF in
terest IN this historic old city. so rich
fn tradition.
The lure of the early spring was in
the air. Sits or vsivety green marked
the lawns Of the beautiful homes and
parks aud squares and the Nadons had
The strange experience or being awak-
ened by the carols of birds instead of
the din and roar of prosalc Chicago
Mrs Eadon watched her husband cIosa-
~. She could see the witchery Of the
wonderful old city was nursing him.
He was feeding the SQUIRRELS in Frank
lin square one morning when the spell
broke upon him
1t Is a beautiful city" said --rhc
Cafeteria kiuk. q would like To camp
hare myself for q while. / wonder
If here is "A building nearby that we
might mako over, We don't want TO
get toe far from the squirrels. We
shall want 81 building where We can
accommodate 5000 or 5000 people q
day
Net that many people, dear, pro-
tested Mrs Nadon.
oh. YES They viii come 20 see us
Lock- al their faces They ara WE'LL
fed well dressed. They know what
good food is"
Mrs Nadou answered not for ahe
knew that her husband. who had sue
cessfullv operated cafeteriss LARGE and
sman na los Angeles. San francisco
salt Lake Houston, Tex. Ekiva2e In
dsanapolis aad Peoria. III. had long
since mastered The psychology q tho
crowds lip Franklin street thev
walked AZ random. Al the corner Of
seventh street was vacant building
that had been erected for big depart
ment store. but the project failed to
materialj2e
THE very Thing, could nardly re
hwtter tthtess Il had been built for the
parpose, announced the Cafeteria
king
kfew weeks later "Richmoud's Cafe
tsrIa' was in operation From the very
day OF opening until now II has been
me mecca ri the city's best people
from every walk in life. with also an
enormous transient patronage. Just
now.s l,ecause perhaps Of the great war
and the terrific expense OF maintaining
private establishment it In at the
very height Of lis popularity.
The Cafeteria King" attributes his
euccess 10 q variety Of circumstances
and the good fortune that is almost
always attendant upon honest and
consistent effort
IT has been apparent 10 me for 81
long tsTYla--y&ars before tha war, Su I'd
the~ssafeteria King to The Richmond
SirEinkaM reporter. that the day OF
ihe hi8 restaurant With small armies
pf nsaJus.a ornns, carriage attendants.
ragfenk Ard what not was rapidly
arawtngs 10 a CLOSE IN this country in
sny evAnt. A few OF these places may
continue tos@exist. but they are grad
aaux Ntiisappsarinx Thes~ SaNarau,
aownfoyn T1elmonico's in New York,
ChainseFstn's. Worrdevs. weiker's and
I'll fhe great restaurants al the ma
iienRI capital are long since closed and
there ia not4iiug 10 take their places.
The national capital ~ positively pow
srtv-strleken in TIE matter Of restAu-
rants as il illustrated by the fact that
the government ~ the United States
has turned To tina cafeteria as solu-
ton to the serious problem"
Uncle Sam tS about TO start cafe
terra at Washington 70 feed 1900
daily. An official OF the government
visited Richmond's Cafeteria on Thurs
aay Mr.. Nadon said he was delighted
10 give him all tho Information he
possibly could. Incidentally, the Cafe
teria King said. he was going TO fol
low the governments sslt--oren big
cafeteria at the national capital. He
had only postponed tbs project to win
out here IN Richmond.
In this connection the ''TrftAd Cafe
terial Corporation OF Virginia" ain or
ganixatlon for the purpose OF conduct
ing cafeterias In the Ola Dominion and
.s.--.--.ss...----sss-s-.s