The Restaurant Museum

History of the hospitality industry in the United States of America

The Restaurant Museum is an online Museum that has been created to honor and save the memories of restaurants in any venue of the hospitality industry. Through personal stories, and photographs both current and past, it’s the ideal way to celebrate and archive the history of any restaurant business.

Herbs Restaurant

One thing all people in this industry have in common are the memories that they create for their customers, memories of first dates, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and other milestones. This website includes photographs of these meaningful events from restaurants all over the US. The Restaurant Museum is to keep the history of American restaurants alive through recollections and photographs, including everything from the history of employees and patrons to tableware, signature dishes, and events. Whether you’re a diner, luncheonette, food cart or hotel tell your stories here past and present.

The Restaurant Museum is a great way to archive your photographs and papers so they are always available for future generations!

The Collector Art Gallery Restaurant, U & 17th, 1989

Please select a category under the ‘States’ column for more history.

It’s FREE to list your information on The Restaurant Museum.

Please see the How Do I Add My Information? page for more detail.

Rutt’s Hutt

(Open) Rutt’s Hutt We all had our favorite hangouts when we were teenagers and Rutt’s Hut is one of mine. I always use to spend time at Rutt’s Hut with my friends, Tony, Bob, Georgeanne, Phyllis and Ann. All 6 of us would pile into Ann’s Rambler, with the seats put down in the back, …

Restaurant Cookbooks

The Palm Restaurant Cookbook Carmine’s Family-Style Cookbook Mccormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant Cookbook Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant The Columbia Restaurant Spanish Cookbook Arnaud’s Restaurant Cookbook: New Orleans Legendary Creole Cuisine The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook: A Year in the Life of a Restaurant The Sublime Restaurant Cookbook: Florida’s Ultimate Destination for …

Restaurant Scenes in Film

When Harry Met Sally… (1989) – IMDb Mildred Pierce (1945) – IMDb Mildred Pierce (TV mini-series 2011) – IMDb Victor Victoria (1982) – IMDb The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) – IMDb Please help us add your favorite films! Email us with suggestions.

Bamboo Room

(Closed) Bamboo Room Owners Norton D. Smith & Gerald B. O’Reilly Sea Bright, New Jersey

Upcoming

The Restaurant Museum is a new and upcoming site that will change as we gather more information and grow.

We're looking forward to sponsorship and support from former restauranteurs and restaurant suppliers. We would like to have your support and suggestion, and are open to ideas of what you would like your Restaurant Museum to be.

Hopes for the Future

As a new virtual museum we hope to expand to traveling exhibits with objects and photographs and eventually have a physical site.

We will have a timeline showing the history of restaurants in the United States. Also, categories will be created for different nationalities as well as diverse subjects including famous restaurants in literature and in movies.

We believe it is important to pass on knowledge to future generations and to learn from history. Eventually The Restaurant Museum will expand to include education for new restauranteurs through blogs, forums, and link.