Britling Cafeterias

Britling Cafeterias was a regional cafeteria-style restaurant chain that originated in Birmingham, Alabama, and became associated with the dining culture of Birmingham and Memphis during the twentieth century. The business was created by Alva Wright Boswell Johnson, who moved to Birmingham in 1908 to manage the Steele-Smith Dry Goods Company. Johnson initially established a cafeteria on the department store's top floor so employees could eat lunch. The food attracted members of the public as well, convincing him that a dedicated restaurant could become a viable business. Johnson sold the department store and opened the first Britling Cafeteria at 1913 First Avenue North in Birmingham on July 10, 1919. The name was taken from the central character of H. G. Wells's 1916 novel Mr. Britling Sees It Through. During the 1920s, two additional cafeterias opened in downtown Birmingham. These restaurants used a self-service cafeteria format and developed into prominent local gathering places, particularly for downtown workers, families, and churchgoing customers. The First Avenue North restaurant was known as a social destination in the late 1940s and 1950s and sometimes featured live music. Another downtown Birmingham location had balcony seating overlooking the main dining floor and was connected to a separate cafeteria on Third Avenue North. In 1928, Johnson relocated from Birmingham to Memphis and began expanding the Britling name there. The business also had a presence in Oklahoma City: a multilevel Britling Cafeteria opened at 221 West First Street in December 1932, although that location closed in 1948. Johnson considered expanding to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1931, but discovered that the city already had a Britling Cafe using the same literary reference. Rather than adopt the existing name, he created the Blue Boar Cafeterias identity, which became a related cafeteria chain. In later years, the Memphis Britling locations and Blue Boar Cafeterias in Nashville and Louisville were under common ownership. The company's ownership and operating structure changed over time. Around 1930, financial difficulties led First National Bank to take control of the Birmingham cafeteria. John H. Holcomb subsequently purchased the Birmingham operation from the bank, while Johnson continued to own the Memphis locations until his death in 1948. Around 1975, manager Thomas Battle and J. W. Palmer acquired partial ownership of the Alabama operations from John Holcomb Jr. and later bought the remaining interests from Holcomb's sisters. The Alabama locations were eventually sold or converted to restaurants operating under other names, although some retained the Britling identity for a period. Britling's prominence declined during the 1970s as fast-food restaurants expanded and offered faster, more standardized service. Birmingham and Memphis management responded by opening suburban locations in shopping centers and by converting some cafeterias into all-you-can-eat buffets. The strategy provided only temporary relief. Downtown locations in Birmingham had closed by the end of the 1970s, and the remaining Alabama restaurants were gradually sold, renamed, or shut down. The Western Hills Mall location closed in March 1981 after reported economic difficulties. A Huntsville location retained the Britling name under ownership associated with Tommy Battle, but closed on March 14, 1993. The final two public Memphis Britling cafeterias closed on March 28, 1993. A cafeteria carrying the name inside the Memphis regional offices of the Internal Revenue Service continued afterward, but it was not open to the general public. Britling also has a cultural connection to Elvis Presley through his mother, Gladys Presley, who worked at a Memphis cafeteria to support her son. Graceland later displayed material commemorating her employment. All publicly accessible Britling Cafeterias have now closed, leaving the brand primarily as a subject of local restaurant and Southern food-service history.

Britling Cafeterias developed from an employee dining facility created by Alva Wright Boswell Johnson after he took over the Steele-Smith Dry Goods Company in Birmingham in 1908. The cafeteria was located on the store's top floor, but its popularity with the general public led Johnson to pursue a restaurant business. He sold the department store and opened the first Britling Cafeteria in Birmingham on July 10, 1919. The brand name referred to H. G. Wells's novel Mr. Britling Sees It Through. Two more Birmingham locations opened during the 1920s. Their large dining rooms, self-service format, and central locations made them important social and commercial spaces. One First Avenue North restaurant became particularly associated with postwar Birmingham and reportedly included live music. A Twentieth Street North location used balcony seating above the main floor and was linked to another downtown cafeteria, a format also found at the Memphis restaurants. Johnson moved to Memphis in 1928 and expanded Britling there. His attempted 1931 entry into Louisville produced a related business instead: because a Britling Cafe already operated in that city, he adopted the name Blue Boar, helping establish another cafeteria chain. Britling and Blue Boar later came under common ownership in their respective markets. A separate Oklahoma City location opened in December 1932 and closed in 1948. The business experienced ownership changes and financial pressure. First National Bank took over the Birmingham operation around 1930, after which John H. Holcomb purchased it. Johnson retained ownership of the Memphis operations until his death in 1948. In the 1970s, growing competition from fast-food restaurants weakened the cafeteria model. Britling operators tried to compensate by moving into suburban shopping centers and converting some restaurants into all-you-can-eat buffets. The Birmingham chain opened sites in Highland Avenue, Mountain Brook, Eastwood Mall, Western Hills Mall, Vestavia Hills Mall, Five Points West Shopping City, and Huntsville. Memphis operators likewise shifted activity from downtown restaurants to suburban centers. The suburban strategy did not reverse the long-term decline. Birmingham's original downtown locations disappeared by the end of the 1970s. Around 1975, Thomas Battle and J. W. Palmer obtained partial ownership of Alabama operations from John Holcomb Jr. and later acquired the remaining interests from Holcomb's sisters. By 1980, most cafeterias had been sold to new owners or reopened under different names. Battle converted the Hoover location into Battle's Buffet. The Western Hills Mall Britling closed in March 1981, and the Huntsville restaurant remained the last Alabama location until closing on March 14, 1993. The final two public Memphis cafeterias closed on March 28, 1993. A non-public cafeteria inside the Memphis IRS regional offices continued after that date. The chain retains local historical significance. Gladys Presley, Elvis Presley's mother, worked at a Memphis Britling location to help support her son, and Graceland later commemorated that connection. Britling's history illustrates the rise of the American cafeteria as a regional institution, followed by its contraction under pressure from fast food, suburban retail changes, and changing dining habits.

• 1993

  Britling's public operations end

  [1]Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org

  The Huntsville location closed on March 14, followed by the final two public Memphis cafeterias on March 28.

• 1981

  Western Hills Mall location closes

  [1]Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org

  The last Birmingham-area location at Western Hills Mall closed in March after economic difficulties.

• 1975

  Battle and Palmer acquire Alabama interests

  [1]Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org

  Thomas Battle and J. W. Palmer bought partial ownership of the Alabama operations and later acquired the remaining interests from the Holcomb family.

• 1948

  Oklahoma City location closes and Johnson dies

  [1]Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org

  The Oklahoma City restaurant closed, and Alva Wright Boswell Johnson died while still owning the Memphis locations.

• 1932

  Oklahoma City location opens

  [1]Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org

  A Britling Cafeteria opened at 221 West First Street in Oklahoma City in December.

• 1931

  Blue Boar identity created for Louisville

  [1]Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org

  Because Louisville already had a Britling Cafe, Johnson used the Blue Boar name for his planned Kentucky cafeteria, leading to a related chain.

• 1928

  Memphis expansion begins

  [1]Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org

  Johnson moved from Birmingham to Memphis and began opening additional Britling locations.

• 1920

  Downtown Birmingham expansion

  [1]Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org

  Two additional cafeterias opened in downtown Birmingham during the 1920s.

• 1919

  First Britling Cafeteria opens

  [1]Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org

  Johnson opened the first dedicated Britling restaurant at 1913 First Avenue North in Birmingham on July 10.

• 1908

  Johnson establishes an employee cafeteria in Birmingham

  [1]Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org

  After taking over the Steele-Smith Dry Goods Company, Alva Wright Boswell Johnson created a top-floor cafeteria for employees, which attracted public customers and suggested a restaurant opportunity.

A locally rooted, family-oriented cafeteria brand offering prepared American meals in large self-service dining rooms. At its height, Britling positioned its restaurants as convenient community gathering places for downtown workers, families, and after-church diners.

• Cafeteria dining · 1919

  Traditional cafeteria meals

  Britling's core offering was prepared American food presented in a self-service cafeteria setting. Customers selected dishes from a service line and ate in large dining rooms designed for substantial midday and evening traffic. The format supported both routine meals and communal occasions, including family outings and after-church Sunday lunches.

• Buffet restaurant

  All-you-can-eat buffet format

  In response to competition from fast-food restaurants, several remaining Memphis restaurants and the final Birmingham-area store were converted into all-you-can-eat buffets. The format broadened the quantity and selection proposition, but produced only short-term results and did not prevent the chain's eventual closure.

• 1975

  Transfer of Alabama ownership interestsM&A

  Background

  The Alabama operations faced a changing restaurant market and ownership remained connected to the Holcomb family.

  Action taken

  Manager Thomas Battle and J. W. Palmer purchased partial ownership from John Holcomb Jr. and later acquired the remaining interests from Holcomb's sisters.

  Aftermath

  By 1980, most Alabama cafeterias had been sold to new owners or reopened under different names.

  Source

• 1970

  Shift toward suburban locations and buffetsStrategy

  Background

  Fast-food restaurants became increasingly widespread during the 1970s, weakening the traditional downtown cafeteria model.

  Action taken

  Britling management opened restaurants in suburban malls and other shopping centers and converted some remaining locations into all-you-can-eat buffets.

  Aftermath

  The changes helped temporarily but did not stop the closure of downtown restaurants and the eventual disappearance of the public chain.

  Source

• 1931

  Use the Blue Boar name for Louisville expansionStrategy

  Background

  Johnson planned to open a Britling in Louisville but found that a local cafe already used the Britling name and literary association.

  Action taken

  He selected another B-name, Blue Boar, for the Louisville operation, creating a related cafeteria brand rather than using Britling.

  Aftermath

  Blue Boar later became part of the related cafeteria network that shared ownership connections with Britling in its later years.

  Source

1. 1Britling Cafeteriasen.wikipedia.org