The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-09-05
Meals Are Sold Cheaper Than
in America Despite the Fact
That Practically All Foods
Are imported,

Nll Il'IDOI lOui
LONDON. Mug S-)C9rre,pondcSc,
Of The Associated pre.sD-Natonal
kitchen, and national restaurant, cstab-
li,hcd in England this year by the Brit
i,h food ministry to avert public hard
ship and provide food at rcasona G
cost arc undcrsellng privately operated
eating 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 much OF its food and has
undergone three more year, OF war
The kitchens are TO prepare food Tor
huu,eholdcr,. and in few instances only
arc ARRANGEMENTS made for consuming
food ON the premises The restaurant
caters only o. the latter A good sub
stanral lunch can be obtained at the
restaurants for IS cents according TO
Phillip p Kennedy, commercial ai,achc
Al London of The bureau OF foreign and
domestic commerce
Under Private Ownership.
Food rNru,ng has been established
,u..r.s.ullv This year. MIR Kennedy IN
iotr, rnr bureau. but food regulations
resulted iu hotel and restaurant owner,
reducing the quantity and quality o.
food without any reduction IN price. In
some instances prices were increased.
Seeing that this situation was likely
d. become au actual hardship the food
ministry took steps To- assist the public
writes Mr. Kennedy The first action
wa the establishment Of national kitch
ems ~ thousand were established from
February Co August with only three o.
iour under the direct MANAGEMENT OF
the food ministry, the other being con
trollcd hy local authorities Necessary
,api,al may be obtained from the gov
crnmcn' hut return payment must he
ma', no ten ~ars The kitchens are
.,a 20 have helped materially IN re
n,,uq the food difficulties
N wlher step was necessary Mt
.,unc1y reports because hotel and res
auam patrons found the food regula
lors a. hc a hardship As an expert
men' the TODD ministry opened 1t, first
rational restaurant ON lune 2o, last
rear rur newspaper district m Fleet
rtcr and it proved 30 successful that
.hor are to be opened in London and
other y.ue.
Government Lends Money
"Thr original payment tor rent anl
gum.nD amounted to Sl2luO write,
Mr. Kennedy THE management OF the
restaurant 3. in the charge OF the di-
rector of lh, national kitchens. who
homes 90 hc able to repay the original
treasury investment within a wear from
profits earned There has been some
idea that This restaurant has hccn sub
di1ed hy the government hut the di-
rector declare, that the food is pur-
chased m the open market IN compgli-
non with others. and Jhat all money
advanced hy the government will be
lullv repaid
an this initial restaurant, the staff
numbers about thirty persons The
Ntchcn and dining room are very clean
and attractive. and the service appears
10 he very efficient The system IN
vogue Is what is sometimes known IN
,he United States as the cafeteria plan
the customers wait ON themselves
The dining room has a seating capacity
for 10 persons at one sitting 1t i,
estimated that about l0Oo meals are
served from II 80 m. to 3 p m One
of the most profitable features Of the
restaurant is the serving OF Afternoon
tea, which has been very we'll patron.
ized. The principle on which the res
taurant is run is to serve food which /.
most easily procurable at the time Thi,
makes possible the serving OF liberia
portions at reasonable prices. As az
Indication of the prices the folowim
VIII give those In effect on July 2, 1918
"Soup, 2 pence a portion; fish, 4 to
pence roast meat 4 TO o pence; tive
meat entrees, to pence vegetables
? pence a portion bread, u penc