Schrafft's (restaurant chain) facts for kids
Interior of Schrafft's 58th St. location in 1957
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Schrafft's was a famous chain of restaurants, mostly found in New York City. It was connected to the Schrafft's company, which was well-known for making candy and other foods. These restaurants were popular because they offered good food at reasonable prices. At dinner, they even used tablecloths, making it feel a bit fancy! They also had separate areas where you could buy Schrafft's candy, ice cream, and gift baskets.
Contents
The Story of Schrafft's
Schrafft's started as a candy company in Boston, founded by William G. Schrafft. But over time, it grew into much more than just candy.
How the Restaurants Began
In 1898, a salesman named Frank G. Shattuck opened a Schrafft's candy store in Manhattan, New York City. His sister, Jane Shattuck, had a great idea: she started serving light lunches in the stores. This was a big hit!
The very first Schrafft's location to serve food was in Syracuse in 1906. By 1909, Jane had brought meals to a second New York City Schrafft's store. By 1927, there were 25 Schrafft's locations, mostly in New York City. By 1928, the restaurants were making a lot of money, about US$1 million each month just from lunch sales!
What Made Schrafft's Special
Schrafft's was known for its polite and refined atmosphere, much like a nice home. Many of the cooks, managers, and even some of the top leaders were women. The menus from the 1920s and 1930s featured many salads, lots of desserts, and interesting vegetable dishes like creamed cauliflower.
Growth and Changes
During the Great Depression, a time when the economy was very tough, rents for buildings became cheaper. This helped Schrafft's open even more restaurants. By 1937, there were 43 Schrafft's locations, mainly around New York City, with some in Boston and Philadelphia. At its busiest, there were about 50 Schrafft's restaurants in the greater New York area. They were famous for serving classic American home-style food.
In the late 1960s, the Schrafft's candy business was sold to another company. Then, in 1967, a company called Pet, Inc. bought the Schrafft's restaurants for US$14 million. Pet, Inc. tried to make the restaurants more modern and even opened some Schrafft's motels.
However, in the 1970s, the number of Schrafft's restaurants began to shrink. Most of them closed down within that decade. By 1981, the original candy company had stopped operating. The few remaining restaurants were then owned by different companies.
