The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-09-04
EARNING BIG PROFITS
DESPITE Low SELLING
National Kitchens and National Restau-
rants in England Are Underselling
Private Concerns.

Washington, D. c., Sept. 4.-National
kitchens and national restaurants estab.
lished in England this year by the Brit.
ish food ministry to avert public hard.
ship and provide food at reasonable cost
are underselling privately operated eat
ing houses, and still are earning big
profits. Meals in the restaurants cost
less than in the average American eating
place, despite the fact that England must
import must of its food and has under
gone three more years of war.
The kitchens are to prepare food for
householders, and in few instances only
are arrangements made for consuming
food on the premises. The restaurant
caters only to the latter. A good sub
stantial lunch can be obtained at the
restaurant for 30 cents, according to
Philip B. Kennedy, commercial attache
at London of the bureau of foreign and
domestic commerce.
Food rationing has been established
successfully this year, Mr.. Kennedy in
forms the bureau, but food regulations
resulted in hotel and restaurant owners
reducing the quantity and quality of food
without any reduction in price. In some
instances prices were increased.
Seeing that this situation was likely to
become an actual hardship, the food min
istry took steps to assist the public,
writes Mr.. Kennedy The first action
was establishment of national kitchens.
A thousand were established from Feb.
ruary to August, with only three or
four under the direct management of the
food ministry, the others being CON
trolled by local authorities. Necessary
capital may be obtained from the gov
eminent, but return payment must be
made in 10 years. The kitchens are said
TO have helped materially in relieving the
food difficulties.
A further step was necessary, Mr.. Ken
nedy reports, because hotel and restau-
rant patrons found the food regulations
to be a hardship. As an experiment. the
food ministry opened its first national
restaurant on June 20 last, near the
newspaper district in Fleet street. and
Il has proved so successful that others
are to be opened in London and other
cities.
"The original payment for rent and
amounted to $l2,l60," writes
MIR. Kennedy. "The management of the
restaurant is in the charge of the direc-
tor of the national kitchens, who hopes
10 be able TO repay the original treasury
Investment within year from profits
earned There has been some idea that
the restaurant has been subsidized by
the government, but the director de-
,lares that the food is purchased in the
open market in competition with others.
Ind that all money advanced by the |
government viii be fully repaid.
I'm this initial restaurant the staff |
numbers about 30 persons The kitchen |
md dining room are very clean and at
ractiye, and the service appears to be |
'ery efficient. The system in vogue is
What is sometimes known in the United |
states as the cafetaria plan--the Gus
omers wait on themseles. The dining |
Dom has a seating capacity for ITO per-
ons at one sitting. 1t is estimated that |
'NNAN A81NN AhtaAs Hlt seLNtu lIsoU
!. m. to p. m. One of the most profit
BILE features of the restaurant Ii the
CRYING of afternoon tea, which has been
ry well patronized. The principle on
which the restaurant is run is to serve
God which is most easily procurable at
he time. This makes possible the serv.
ng of liberal portions at reasonable
rices. As an indication of the prices, the
GLOWING will give those in effect on july
1918:
Soup, two pence a portion; fish, four
o six pence; roast meat, four to six
ence; two meat entrees, four to six
ence; vegetables, two pence a portion;
read, one,h half pence; sweets, three and
our pence coffee, two pence cup; tea,
ne pence a cup.
"An arrangement has been worked out
hereby six vouchers will be exchanged
-