Ultimately, diners occupied the border between suburb and city, catering to hungry customers who were on the border between low and middle class and who were assimilating into American culture. Slowly but surely, the diner morphed, targeting women and children in a bid to train families to eat away from home. Counter space decreased as booths and tables moved in.
Small, pre-fab restaurants grew to accommodate more group seating. They even adopted materials like Formica that were beloved in middle-class kitchens, branding themselves as an extension of the home. Eventually, national chains like Harvey House, the first major restaurant chain in the United States, took over and the drive-in—and, later, drive-through—became the norm.
JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. Privacy Policy Contact Us You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the provided link on any marketing message. In order to increase business, particularly from women who secured the right to vote in , diner owners cleaned up their image, adding shrubs and flower boxes, offering booth service and repainting their diners. Many dining car owners included the word "Miss" in their names to help feminize and soften their image.
The builders constructed cars with innovations such as indoor bathrooms, tables, longer length dimensions and repositioned counters to accommodate a larger food selection. Dining cars of the 's, although manufactured by different companies, were similar in style. The cars were an evolved version of the earlier lunch wagon.
A few of the companies offered credit and financing in conjunction with fully equipped dining cars. The incorporation of the railroad car look and use of the word "diner" were efforts by manufacturers to change the image of the dilapidated dining cars and night lunches. The design of dining cars had remained relatively unchanged until the streamline moderne style appeared in the 's. Modern materials were fabricated into streamline forms to symbolize speed and mobility. Streamline design identified with the new and futuristic modes of transportation and the efficiency of the machine age.
During the Depression most diners remained in business because they offered inexpensive places to eat. Several diner builders were forced out of business from the lack of sales during the Depression. After World War II, the demand for diners increased dramatically. Servicemen eligible for G. Americans were eager to spend money and make up for the years that they had to do without.
In , a dozen diner manufacturers were competing for part of the economic pie. Technological innovations developed before and during the war were shifted to the commercial production of new materials such as Formica, Naugahyde and terrazzo floors.
But fans of the wayside canteen can't be complacent. They would do well to reflect on the poignant question that you hear asked over the counter of every diner: "Do you want that to go? Additional reporting by Megan Lane. American recipes from BBC chefs. Sitting in a diner, on the inside looking outside. Common touch: The diner is now a compulsory stop on the campaign trail. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Singer Suzanne Vega in Tom's Restaurant.
Together alone: Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. He owned companies In New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York that shipped diners all over the country — in the s, he owned 6, diners nationwide. After World War I broke out, diners shifted to catered to women, adding flowers boxes and wallpaper and advertising their food as home cooked meals.
Diners in the s had a streamlined design, featuring bullet-shaped exteriors and chrome interiors. The streamlined modern design of the diner first appeared in the s in an effort to change their image. The streamlined futuristic designs reflected the modern era. During the Depression many diners stayed in business due to their low cost menus. The demand for diners increased after World War II when many service men and women returned home. There were over a dozen diner manufacturers. After World War II, diners implemented Formica countertops, porcelain tiles, leather booths, wood paneling and terrazzo floors.
The look of the diner changed as it spread to the suburbs, implementing stainless steel exteriors, large windows and wall decor. In the s a revival took place and many diners were built with a retro look. Diners spread to Europe which gave economic support to diner companies in the U.
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