Bickford's (restaurant) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids  |
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| Founded | 1921 |
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| Founder | Samuel Longley Bickford |
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Number of locations
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2 (2020) |
Bickford's Restaurants and Cafeterias was a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants. It was started in 1921. From the 1920s to the 1970s, many people in the New York City area knew Bickford's. Later, from the 1970s to the 2000s, most locations were in New England.
As of 2020, only two Bickford's locations are still open. Both are in Massachusetts and are called "Bickford's Grille." You can find them in Burlington and Woburn. The Bickford's Family Restaurant in Acton, Massachusetts, closed in July 2020.
Bickford's and Foster's Cafeterias were popular places. They even influenced famous writers and artists. These included Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Woody Allen, and Andy Warhol.
Contents
How It Started: Lunchrooms
Samuel Longley Bickford (1885–1959) began working in restaurants in 1902. In 1921, he opened his own quick-lunch restaurants called Bickford's in New York. These places offered food at low prices and stayed open for many hours.
During the 1920s, Bickford's grew quickly. There were 24 lunchrooms in the New York area. Others opened near Boston. The company also bought other lunchroom chains. These included Travelers' Lunch and White Lunch System.
A company document said their lunchrooms were "self-service." This meant customers picked up their own food. They served a small menu. This helped them use their equipment well and serve many people quickly. The focus was on "high quality at moderate cost." A 1964 New York City guidebook said:
- Breakfast at Bickford's is an old New York custom. These restaurants were in good locations. They offered quick service and low prices. Many different people, working different hours, ate there.
Growing Bigger
Bickford's restaurants started opening in New Jersey and Massachusetts. Samuel Bickford and his son, Harold, worked for over 40 years. They helped their cafeteria chain grow across the Northeast. They even opened drive-in restaurants.
Their expansion continued into Florida, Pennsylvania, and California. In total, they opened 85 locations.
Harold Bickford was in charge of opening cafeterias in Florida and California. By 1959, Bickford's, Inc. had two main parts. One was for the North-East Coast. The other was for the South East Coast and West Coast.
Why They Declined
Bickford's and its related cafeterias faced challenges. Their costs for workers went up. They also had more competition from fast food restaurants. These fast food places often used workers who were not in unions. Also, more people stayed home at night.
In 1960, there were 48 Bickford's in New York. By 1970, there were only 42. In 1980, just two were left. By 1982, the last two in New York also closed.
How They Changed
In October 1959, Harold Bickford started something new. It was called the Bickford's Pancake House. This was a family restaurant that focused on breakfast. Over the next 30 years, this chain grew to 30 restaurants. They were all across New England. By the mid-1990s, there were almost 70 Bickford's restaurants. They were in New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Bickford's main office was in Brighton, Boston, Massachusetts. Jeffrey S. Bickford, the founder's grandson, has a website. It shares old memories and information about Bickford's.
In 2016, four locations were still open in Massachusetts. These included Bickford's Grille in Brockton, Burlington, and Woburn. There was also a Bickford's Family Restaurant in Acton. On December 30, 2018, the Brockton Bickford's Grille closed. This left only three locations. As of July 2020, the Acton location also closed. Now, only the two Bickford's Grille locations in Burlington and Woburn remain. The company is now updating these locations. They are getting new signs and dining room improvements. The Woburn location even has a new bar.
Foster's Cafeterias
Foster's Cafeterias were part of Bickford's. They were managed by Foster's Lunch System, Ltd. This part of the company was based in San Francisco, California. By 1959, there were 28 Foster's Cafeterias & Bakeries. They were in San Francisco and other nearby areas. These included Oakland, Berkeley, and San Mateo.
Foster's English Muffins
Foster's cafeterias were famous for their English Muffins. These were sourdough English muffins. You could buy them packaged at the cafeterias to take home. A newspaper writer named Herb Caen often wrote about these muffins in his column. They were also sold in supermarkets.
