For a Different, Tasty, Noon-Dish, Try Walgreen Lunch Counter... from a 1944 advertisement

{HISTORY}

What happens when images of the nostalgic pharmacy soda shop and lunch counter get wrapped up with an iconic drug store brand? Meet the vintage 1930s-era Walgreen luncheonette plates!

Made between December 1938 and December 1941 by Syracuse China, these plates were designed specifically for Walgreens lunch counters in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Back then, Walgreens was simply known as Walgreen -  named after the local Chicago pharmacist who founded a drug store in 1901 - Charles Walgreen (1873-1939). At the time, Charles didn't know his name or his store would eventually become a giant American health brand with over 9,000 pharmacies around the country. He was just a city druggist setting up shop to help heal the sick. What followed was an unique business model, complete with its own fascinating food history. 

In the early 20th century, soda shops were installed in pharmacies because carbonated water was thought to have additional health benefits. Once customers got used to sitting at the counter and ordering a bubbly beverage while they waited for their prescription to be filled, ice cream was then added to the menu, turning the pharmacy into a fun place to go for all ages. From there full-service lunch counters were added where patrons could have a cup of coffee and a pastry or enjoy a full meal (including bread, main entree, side salad, and dessert) if they pleased, all while getting their drug-store orders filled.

A fun and novel idea of eating and shopping all under the same roof, drugstore luncheonettes became a popular place to grab a burger or a grilled cheese along with that chocolate malt or a strawberry ice cream cone all at discounted prices. Less expensive then a traditional restaurant and offering  multi-tasking environment, lunch counters were ideal dining establishments for workers on the go, busy moms on a budget and retired people who enjoyed the energy of the environment and the pocket-friendly prices.

This rare set of six divided dinner plates features the Walgreen logo at the top and an embossed scalloped design around the rim. Light beige in color, they are part of Syracuse  China's Econo-rim series, which was meant for smaller dining spaces. Each plate is stamped on the back with a different date code pertaining to the years between 1938-1941. With the exception of April, these plates were made in the autumn/winter months between October and February just when you can imagine a warm slice of meatloaf and a scoop of mashed potatoes might have been served or a hot sandwich stuffed with something popular like pastrami and sauerkraut and maybe some pickles on the side.

Fun for vintage restaurant ware collectors, history enthusiasts, and writers, these plates are full of stories of who ate what, and when, and where, and why. For a peek into what this world looked like in the 1930s, included here, is a photo of a Walgreen Green Soda Shop and Lunch Counter in Jackson Mississippi courtesy of the Clarion-Ledger newspaper published in 1937, just a year before one of the plates was made.  

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Matching set of six plates 

- Stamped on back with maker's mark and date codes signifying the following dates: December 1938, January 1940, February 1940, April 1941, October 1941 and December 1941

- Walgreen logo on each plate

- Colors include light beige and chocolate brown 

{CONDITION}

In gorgeous vintage condition. All plates are shiny and bright. There are no chips or cracks with the exception of one plate which has a stress crack on the front and back near the large portion part close to the bottom center of the plate (please see photos). This crack does not impact the use of the plate or its integrity in any way.  There are some light utensil marks on some plates as expected from vintage restaurant ware, but overall these plates are in really lovely condition given the fact they were part of a busy restaurant environment eighty-five years ago. 

{SIZE} 

Each plate measures 9.5" inches in diameter and weighs 1.9 lbs. Please note the whole set weighs just over 10lbs. 

{FOR THE RESTAURANT LOVER}

Looking for more fascinating stories from long-ago restaurants? Shop our vintage restaurant ware collections here.