Luncheonettes

Strictly speaking, luncheonettes are small restaurants, the suffix implying size, where light meals are served at lunchtime. The term does not always refer to freestanding dining spots but could mean food service counters within other establishments, such as Woolworth’s five-and-ten stores.

Restaurants specializing in midday meals appeared in America with industrialization and the intensification of office work in cities and towns. In the early to mid-nineteenth century the concept of lunch, dining away from home during the workday, became regulated by the clock as was work itself. Eating fast had long been an American characteristic, but quick service was now required when lunch breaks might last only thirty minutes.