{HISTORY}

A restaurant ware creamer is always a fun find! This one was made for Hot Shoppes, a restaurant in Washington DC started by the Marriott family in the 1920s, long before they became hoteliers. 

Operating from 1927-1999, the Hot Shoppes brand started out selling AW Root Beer but then added Southwestern-style foods to their menu and eventually expanded to burgers and a variety of other fare in order to offer something for everyone to enjoy. Hot Shoppes was a hit among the DC crowd, eventually expanding to a dozen locations around the city and then expanding to other states until there were over 70 locations in the US.

Duke Ellington recorded the theme songs, Frontier Airlines served Hot Shoppes to-go meals in-flight, and the H.S. restaurants in the DC area were the first to offer curb-side dining. By the 1950s, the Marriott family stepped foot into the hotel industry and Hot Shoppes came along for the ride as flagship eateries inside the hotel.

The last Hot Shoppes restaurant closed in 1999 as the Marriott family continued on with their successful line of hotel properties. 

At least two separate pottery manufacturers that we know of made the Trentwood pattern for Hot Shoppes - Walker China and Homer Laughlin. Some pieces are marked Hot Shoppes, others Mariott, and others just the manufacturer's name. This creamer falls in the latter category. It was made by Homer Laughlin in January 1980. Simple in it's mustard yellow and white color palette, it's a pretty little creamer meant for individual use and might have been part of service in the bustling Hot Shoppe cafeteria scene of the 1980s. 

Hot Shoppes matchbook photo courtesy of streetsofwashington.com Hot Shoppes restaurant interior photograph by John Collier circa 1941. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• Trentwood pattern
• Stamped on bottom with maker's mark and date code

{CONDITION}

In beautiful vintage condition. There are no chips, cracks or staining. The glaze is very shiny and bright throughout and the pattern crisp and clear. 

{SIZE}

Measures 2.75" inches (height) x 3.5 inches (spout to handle) and weighs 8 oz.