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Britling Cafeterias
Date EstablishedLocation1919Birmingham, Alabama
Description
The first Britling that was available to the public by A.W.B. Johnson of the Steel Smith Dry Goods Company opened the doors for business in Birmingham, Alabama in 1919 and at that time being the primary cafeteria type restaurant at the time. As he was an avid fan of H.G. Wells the name is derived from a character in a story titled "Mr Britling Sees It Through". In the years that followed the small chain was sold to the Holcomb family and would continue to maintain a presence for over fifty years as the stores began to close with the introduction of other eateries of that style emerged that least remaining locations closed in 2006.
Note:
At one of these locations a former employee was Gladys Presley, mother of Elvis Presley and is mentioned in an exhibit with her association to Britling Cafeteria at Graceland.
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Cruising through many states of America, remnants of eateries of the past can still be found. Travel back to a stage in time with me to rekindle the memories of food franchises and the lost cuisine of bygone days. We can remember the presence of these dining experiences in their heyday long ago, but still etched in moments and recollections.
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