Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe |
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The exterior of the restaurant
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| Restaurant information | |
| Coordinates | 42°20′41″N 71°04′40″W / 42.3448°N 71.0778°W |
Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe is a famous restaurant in Boston's South End. It became well-known for serving many African-American jazz musicians. This was during a time when many hotels and restaurants were separated by race.
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A Place for Famous Faces
The walls of Charlie's are covered with pictures of its many famous customers. You can see photos of legendary musicians like Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway. Important leaders have also visited, including former Vice President Al Gore and former President Barack Obama. Even former Governor Deval Patrick has a picture there. When he was a child, Sammy Davis Jr. used to tap dance outside the restaurant for spare change.
What Makes Charlie's Special?
People describe Charlie's as a mix of an old-fashioned diner and a friendly neighborhood coffee shop. Locals especially love its delicious breakfasts. The restaurant first opened its doors in 1927. It has only 32 seats, with 13 of them along a counter. Across from the counter are wooden refrigerators that have been there since 1927! For 32 years, Charlie's was open 24 hours a day, every single day of the week. When they finally decided to close on Sundays, no one even had a key to lock up, so they had to make one.
A Historic Location
The floor above Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe was once a meeting place for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This was the first union for Black porters, founded by A. Philip Randolph. A union is a group of workers who join together to protect their rights and improve their working conditions.
Awards and Recognition
Charlie's has earned many awards over the years. In 2005, it received a special honor called the James Beard Foundation Award. This award was in the "America's Classics" category, which celebrates beloved, long-standing restaurants.
The Story of Charlie's
There is a special online project that tells the history of the restaurant. It's called Where Hash Rules. The story was written by George Aaron Cuddy, and Brooke T. Wolin took the original photographs.
Changes Over Time
On May 12, 2014, Charlie's announced it would close at the end of June that year, after 87 years. However, on August 5, 2014, a new owner, Evan Deluty, shared exciting news. He announced that Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe would reopen! He promised that the famous breakfast and lunch menus would stay the same. He also planned to add a new dinner menu and extend the hours. A newly updated Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe officially reopened on January 22, 2016.
