San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-05
MISS MARY l.. BUTTON, OF
49,, CHICAGO. .. -.

Miss Mary l.. Dutton of Chicago,
stands out with unusual distinction
among the women of these romances.
Born on farm, she taught school
good many years; and then once more
we have 1.-THE EVOLUTION of a school
ma'am into a successful resterateuse.
Miss Dutton, however, did not jump
directly from one 10 the other. Dur
ing the Worlds Fair she and her
mother and sister presided over Chi
cago boarding house, and atterward
they discovered the rooms were too
large and the rent too high-did not
pay.
1t was about this time that Miss
Dutton got the cafeteria impulse. Il
thought this business more OF wom-
ans vocation than any other,' she
says. 1T was only an enlargement Of
the home dining ROOM"
So investing n few hundred dollars
of savings in equipment, she founded
her Colonial Kitchen" on the Sec
ond floor of Monroe Street struc.
ture in Chicago-the site of an earlier
failure. This was in April, 1910.
The opening was most inauspicious.
Nature ungallantly sent a driving rain
and the colored "cbef" proved fail
ure. Miss Dutton herself took COM
mand of the kitchen; yet altogether
she served less than two dozen guests,
and for the entire week took in only
$3.50. But when October's brilliant
reds and browns and yellows had
tigned earth's green, the weekly re-
ceipts were close to $1,000.
Within two years Miss Dutton open
ed another place in the very heart OF
Chicago's shopping district; and then
in 1916 expanded in spectacular
manner. 1t is curious how often peo-
pies brain orbits take on bigger and
bigger circuits until they themselves
are scarcely surprised at the magni-
tude of their plans. Miss Dutton rent
ed two ground-floor sites four blocks
apart. at $4,000 and $4,000 year,
respectively. 'Nough lid.
But still the undertaking grew, and
encompassed another restaurant on
the North Side. "These three leases
alone" she says, "are worth over half
a million dollars. Often at the end
of Il dag the cash registers, altogether,
show $1,000; and in week, $50 1000. "
In her three cafeterias Miss Button
feeds 10000 people week.
My success" she tells me, lis due
to hard work, an optimistic DISPOSE
ton. courage and the ability 20 inter
est high-grade women as my mana
gers. | keep food quality up, pay
good wages to get good help, and /
keep my places clean, nicely decorat;
ed, and we'll ventilated.
Il. also believe in newspaper and
booklet advertising, and spend two per
cent of my receipts TO build up and
sustain good will. Every year l adj
vertise my costs.
1T might interest you TO know that
last year out of receipts ! paid for
food 507 per cent; wages, 24.J6 per
cent; repairs, "a per cent; deprecia-
ton. interest and laundry, 5.54 per
cent; rent, 500 per cent; light and
heat, 4.73 per cent; profit. PSI per
cent--or IA cents per meal served
In explaining the odd name of her
cnterprise-"Ontra Cafeteria Miss
button tells this story:
when opened my cafeteria i
didn't know what to call il. and a
customer suggested on Tray But j
didn't like the looks Of that, so ] cut
off the ~ to make n new word no
one else could appropriate.
Aside from making a success finan-
cially. it is worth a good deal TO be
in the work one likes.
mo amount would prompt me. to
SELL" Miss button declares, "for j
love the business OF feeding people.
1t is my vocation and avocdtion.- 3D.