Britling Cafeterias

Last updated
Britling Cafeterias
Industry Cafeteria-style restaurants
Founded1919 (1919) in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
FounderJohn H. Holcomb
Defunct1981
FateDefunct
Number of locations
3
Area served
Birmingham, Alabama
Nashville, Tennessee
Louisville, Kentucky
Parent First National Bank
Divisions Blue Boar Cafeterias

Britling Cafeterias was a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants, originating in Birmingham, Alabama. During the late 1920s, Britling opened three cafeterias in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. [1] [2] The Britling chain in Memphis, along with B&W Cafeterias in Nashville, Tennessee and Blue Boar Cafeterias in Louisville, Kentucky, were under common ownership in their latter years. All have now closed.

History

Little information about the beginnings of the Birmingham company is publicly available, except that it was owned by John H. Holcomb of Birmingham. Originally the Birmingham and Memphis cafeterias were one company, but in about 1930 the original Birmingham cafeteria was taken over by First National Bank due to financial hardship, with Holcomb buying the Birmingham operation from the bank. They agreed that the Britling name be continued in both locations.

In their heyday, the Britling cafeterias were local institutions in Birmingham and Memphis, particularly the earlier downtown locations. The First Avenue North location in Birmingham was a popular gathering spot in the late 1940s and 1950s, even featuring live music. The Twentieth St. North location featured seating in a balcony overlooking the main floor, and also connected to the Third Avenue North cafeteria; the two downtown Memphis cafeterias were similar. After-church Sunday afternoon lunches at Britling's were a tradition in both cities.

One of the downtown Memphis locations is noteworthy not only as a local landmark of its era, but for one of its former employees: Gladys Presley, mother of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley. A display at Graceland memorializes the Britling Cafeteria and her work there. [3]

Both chains fell into decline in the 1970s, as fast food restaurants became increasingly popular and widespread. In both cities, the Britling management tried to counter this trend by expanding into suburban locations, a move that was successful for a time. In Birmingham, the chain opened locations on Highland Avenue, in Mountain Brook, and in popular shopping centers such as Eastwood Mall, Western Hills Mall, Vestavia Hills Mall and Five Points West Shopping City. A location was also opened in Huntsville. These eventually became the only locations, as the three original downtown restaurants were closed by the end of the 1970s. The Memphis management tried the same diversification, with several locations in suburban shopping centers eventually replacing the downtown restaurants. As the two companies struggled against the competition, the remaining cafeterias were converted into all-you-can-eat buffets; this was done with at least three Memphis locations and the one remaining Birmingham-area store in Hoover in the 1980s. The measure was only successful in the short term, and two Birmingham Britlings finally closed or sold off their Birmingham and Huntsville locations. [4] The Hoover location was sold and became Battle Buffet, which itself closed in the early 1990s. There was also a Britling Cafeteria located at 221 W. 1st street (Park Ave.) Oklahoma City, OK, which also utilized the multilevel balcony seating format. This location, opening in December 1932, operated through the late 1940s to the early 1950s although the exact dates are unknown. The building that housed the Britling was demolished as a result of Oklahoma City's failed urban renewal program in the early 1960s.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cafeteria</span> Food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service

A cafeteria, sometimes called a canteen outside the U.S. and Canada, is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether in a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or lunchroom. Cafeterias are different from coffeehouses, although the English term came from the Spanish term cafetería, which carries the same meaning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parisian (department store)</span> U.S. department store chain

Parisian Inc. was an American chain of upmarket department stores founded and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. Competing mainly through the 1980s against Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Gus Mayer, Parisian underwent a series of restructurings and mergers during its 130-year history, and was taken over by Proffitt’s, Inc. in 1996. In September 2006, Belk purchased Parisian from Saks for $285 million with twenty-four locations later becoming Belk by September 2007. Belk sold four stores in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio to The Bon-Ton in October 2006. Bon-Ton operated these stores individually under the Parisian name until 2013 when the exclusive marketing rights to operate under the Parisian name expired, marking the end of this upmarket department store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverchase Galleria</span> Shopping mall in Hoover, Alabama

Riverchase Galleria, locally known as The Galleria, is a large, super–regional shopping mall and mixed use development in Hoover, Alabama, in the Greater Birmingham metropolitan area. It is ranked 43rd on the list of largest shopping malls in the United States. It is the largest enclosed shopping center in Alabama.

S. H. Kress & Co. was the trading name of a chain of five and dime retail department stores in the United States established by Samuel Henry Kress. It operated from 1896 to 1981. In the first half of the 20th century, there were Kress stores with ornamented architecture in hundreds of cities and towns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casa Bonita</span> Mexican-themed restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado

Casa Bonita is a Mexican restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado, located within the Lamar Station Plaza. It first opened in 1974, and was originally part of a chain of Mexican entertainment restaurants that started in Oklahoma City. The restaurant attracted a cult following among Coloradans since its opening, and is considered by many to be an iconic establishment of Lakewood and the greater Denver metropolitan area.

Brookwood Village was a 750,754-square-foot (69,747 m2) upscale shopping mall located near Birmingham in the cities of Mountain Brook and Homewood, Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobb Center</span> Shopping mall in Georgia, United States

Cobb Center Mall was a shopping mall in Smyrna, Georgia, United States. It was the second mall built in Georgia, and opened on August 15, 1963.

Blue Boar Cafeterias was a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky. The first Blue Boar was opened in 1931. Once a major presence in metro Louisville, it is still remembered for its old downtown location on Fourth Avenue near Broadway. During the 1930s, Guion (Guyon) Clement Earle (1870–1940) served as advertising manager. He was the brother-in-law of Frank Kennicott Reilly (1863–1932) owner of the Reilly & Lee publishing firm of Chicago. Mr. Earle was well known to the customers of the Blue Boar Restaurant through the witty jottings he created which appeared on the Blue Boar's menus. A decade earlier, Mr. Earle had served as the Superintendent of Loveman, Joseph & Loeb in Birmingham, Alabama, where he published a literary review entitled "The Bookworm".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malco Theatres</span> American movie theater chain

Malco Theatres, Inc. is a family owned and operated movie theater chain that has been in business for over one hundred years. It has been led by four generations of the Lightman family. Malco Theatres features 34 theatre locations with over 345 screens in six states. Malco also operates three bowling centers and a family entertainment center in southern Louisiana and a family entertainment center in Oxford, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford City Mall</span> Shopping mall in Illinois, United States

Ford City Mall is a shopping mall located on the Southwest Side of Chicago in the West Lawn neighborhood at 76th Street and Cicero Avenue. Opened in 1965, Ford City is the largest shopping mall in Chicago outside of downtown. Anchored by JCPenney, the mall contains more than 135 stores and restaurants including Applebee’s, Bath & Body Works, The Children’s Place, Foot Locker, Zales Jewelers, Marshalls, Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret/PINK, and Ross Dress for Less. There are several out parcels including a 14-theater AMC Theatres. Ford City Mall is managed by Namdar Realty Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. & S. Pogue Company</span> American department store chain

The H. & S. Pogue Company, also known as Pogue's, was a Cincinnati, Ohio-based department store chain founded by two brothers, Henry and Samuel Pogue. Founded in 1863, it became one of the most prominent department store chains in the region, until it was sold in 1961 to Associated Dry Goods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parkway Place</span> Shopping mall in Alabama, United States

Parkway Place is an upscale shopping mall in Huntsville, Alabama that opened on October 16, 2002. Parkway Place is located at the site of the older Parkway City Mall, which was torn down to allow for the construction of the newer facility. The mall is located at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and Drake Avenue. With a total of 643,135 square feet (59,749.2 m2) and 70 in-line stores, Parkway Place is anchored by Dillard's and Belk. The mall is now the only indoor shopping mall in Huntsville after Madison Square Mall closed in early 2017.

The Forum Cafeteria was a chain of economical cafeteria-style restaurants which operated across the United States. The company was founded in 1918 and had restaurants in the downtown areas of several major cities. In the 1960s the company expanded its business concept to suburban areas, opening shopping center locations at Antioch Shopping Center, Kansas City, Missouri and the Dadeland Shopping Center southwest of Miami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shoppes at Bel Air</span> Shopping mall in Alabama, United States

The Shoppes at Bel Air, formerly Bel Air Mall, is a super-regional shopping mall, located in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The mall has a gross leasable area of 1,345,000 sq ft (125,000 m2). It is the oldest continuously operating enclosed super-regional mall in Alabama and serves as one of the primary retail venues for the west Mobile shopping district located at the vicinity of Airport Boulevard and Interstate 65. Currently, Belk, Dillard's Surge Entertainment Center by Drew Brees, and Target serve as the mall's anchor stores; the mall also features more than 130 stores and restaurants with one vacant anchor that was once JCPenney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Memphis, Tennessee</span>

Tourism in Memphis includes the points of interest in Memphis, Tennessee such as museums, fine art galleries, and parks, as well as Graceland the Beale Street entertainment district, and sporting events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loveman's of Alabama</span>

Loveman's of Alabama was a Birmingham, Alabama-based chain of department stores with locations across Alabama. It adopted this name to distinguish it from Loveman's department stores operating in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and in Nashville, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S&W Cafeteria</span> United States historic place

S&W Cafeteria was a Charlotte, North Carolina–based chain of cafeteria-style restaurants. The chain specialized in low-cost, Southern-style food. Branches were located in the Southeastern United States from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, Georgia.

John A. Brown was an Oklahoma department store chain. It operated under that name from 1932, when its founder bought out its predecessor and renamed the chain for himself. After Mr. Brown died in 1940, his widow took over management until her own death in 1967, forcing a change in ownership. Dayton-Hudson, another retail company, continued operating the chain under the Brown name, until 1984, when Dayton-Hudson sold the Brown chain to Dillard's, another national chain, which combined all of the Brown stores under its own name. The flagship store on West Main Street was closed in 1974 and was subsequently razed as part of an urban renewal project. The project was supposed to result in a new shopping center known as the Galleria. However, the project was never completed, so the Brown chain never returned to downtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama</span> Metropolitan Statistical Area in Alabama, United States

The Birmingham metropolitan area, sometimes known as Greater Birmingham, is a metropolitan area in north central Alabama centered on Birmingham, Alabama, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southgate Mall (Elizabeth City)</span> Shopping mall in North Carolina, United States

Southgate Mall is the sole enclosed shopping center in the sixteen county Historic Albemarle region of northeastern North Carolina. Located on West Ehringhaus Street in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, the mall is currently anchored by Belk and until its closing in early April 2015; JCPenney.

References

  1. "Britling Cafeterias were part of Birmingham's dining landscape for years". al.com. Birmingham Magazine. 18 March 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  2. Gas Age. Harbrace Publications. 1 August 1919. p. 125. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  3. "A Mother's Day Tribute: Gladys Presley". www.graceland.com. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  4. Carter, Lane (October 1962). "Old cafeteria to close; nostalgic era fades away". The Birmingham News . Retrieved 8 July 2023.