By the end of the 1950s, casual dining prevails, both at home and in public, yet interest in new dining experiences, luxury, and exotic cuisines is apparent. The restaurant industry looks forward to a bright future.
During the 1960s, Americans grew wealthier, traveled more, and demanded more exotic cuisine. Yet there were few trained restaurant cooks. Convenience food offered the solution for many restaurants as the decade wore on.
In other developments, old restaurant formats such as automats, diners, cafeterias, and drive-ins disappeared or shrank drastically in numbers. Fast food and dinner house chains, relatively scarce at the beginning of the decade, flourished by its end.
These amazing postcards from Ryan Khatam that show outside of American restaurants in the late 1950s and 1960s.
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| Arizona. Helsing's Restaurant, Phoenix |
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| Arizona. Huck Finns Restaurant, Phoenix |
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| California. Chucks Pancake House, Placerville |
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| California. Cliff House and Seal Rocks, San Francisco |
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| California. Exposition No. 1 Restaurant, Fishermans Wharf, San Francisco |
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| California. Hody's Restaurant Coffee Shop, North Hollywood |
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| California. Keefer's Highway Restaurant, King City |
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| California. Ship Ahoy Sea Food Restaurant, Santa Cruz |
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| California. Sno-White Drive-In, Modesto |
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| Connecticut. D'andrea's 3 Acres Drive-In, Woodbridge |
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| Florida. Doumar's Drive-In Restaurant, Fort Lauderdale |
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| Florida. Parham’s Restaurant, Miami Beach |
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| Florida. Soret’s Restaurant, Riviera Beach |
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| Florida. The Brahma Restaurant, Ocala |
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| Georgia. C & J Restaurant, Claxton |
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| Georgia. Crews Restaurant, Brunswick |
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| Georgia. Green Turtle Restaurant, Valdosta |
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| Georgia. Mrs. Bryant’s Kitchen, Statesboro |
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| Georgia. Mrs. Rogers Restaurant, Claxton |
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| Georgia. Ranch House Restaurants, Atlanta |
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| Illinois. Bel Air Restaurant, Greenville |
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| Illinois. The Escape Restaurant, Berwyn |
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| Indiana. A&w Family Restaurant, North Vernon |
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| Kansas. Thomas Cafeteria, Kansas City |
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| Kentucky. Bun Boy Restaurant, East Main Street, Warsaw |
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| Kentucky. Jolly’s Restaurant & Motel, Cave City |
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| Maryland. Dutch Mill Farm Restaurant, Annapolis |
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| Michigan. Penthouse Restaurant, Marie |
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| Michigan. Sids on the River, Algonac |
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| Michigan. Totem Pole Restaurant, Ironwood |
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| Minnesota. Cassidys Gold Pine Restaurant & Motor Inn, Hinckley |
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| Minnesota. Country Kitchen Restaurant, St Cloud |
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| Minnesota. Nybo’s Cafe, Hiawatha Valley |
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| Nevada. Joe Mackie's New Star Broiler & Casino, Winnemucca |
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| Nevada. Sills Drive-In Restaurant, Las Vegas |
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| New Jersey. Hackney’s Seafood Restaurant, Atlantic City |
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| New Mexico. Blackie's Place, Moriarty |
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| New Mexico. Chinese Dragon Restaurant, Alamgordo |
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| New Mexico. Leonard’s Fine Foods, Albuquerque |
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| New Mexico. Travelers Motel & Cocktail Lounge, Artesia |
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| New York. Corner House Restaurant |
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| North Carolina. Pizza Hut, Fayetteville |
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| Ohio. Chal's Drive-In Restaurant Cambridge |
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| Oklahoma. The Mark Restaurant, Weatherford |
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| Oregon. Keg & Platter Restaurant, Salem |
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| Oregon. Recreation Cafe Coffee Shop, The Dalles |
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| Oregon. The Anchor, Newport |
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| Oregon. Waddle's Coffee Shop, Portland |
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| South Carolina. Hotel Sarsfield and Coffee Shop, Camden |
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| South Carolina. Kentucky Fried Chicken, Orangeburg |
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| South Carolina. Midway Diner, Pee Dee |
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| South Carolina. South of the Border Pedros Restaurant, Dillon |
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| Texas. Jet Drive-In, Austin |
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| Texas. New Braunfels Smokehouse |
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| Texas. Sheraton Kings Inn, Houston |
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| Texas. Underwoods Bar-B-Q, Amarillo |
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| Utah. Flying M Cafe, Panguitch |
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| Utah. Harmans Millstream Cafe & Kentucky Fried Chicken, Ogden |
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| Utah. Mickelson’s Cafe, Nephi |
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| Washington. Bart’s Charcoal Broiler, Longview |
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| Wyoming. Sands Cafe Rock, Springs |