Schaber's Cafeteria
Schaber's Cafeteria was a cafeteria originally located at 620 South Broadway, in the Historic Core of Downtown Los Angeles in a 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival-style building.[1]
Alfred T. Schaber was a German immigrant began his career as a busboy for the Boos brothers (his cousins), who had pioneered one of Los Angeles' first cafeteria-style restaurants. Schaber launched his own cafeteria on Broadway in 1928, designed by architect Charles Fraser Plummer,[2] who had also designed the Boos family residence[3] and other retail and hospitality buildings.[4] It replaced the Platt Music Company Building and cost around $400,000. According to the Los Angeles Times, the cafeteria was capable of serving up to 10,000 patrons daily. It featured Spanish-style decor and a mural by Einar Peterson, along with an air purification system known as the Sturtevant "air washer". The cafeteria became a popular spot, even during the Depression, advertising a welcoming atmosphere free from the struggles of the era.[5][6][1]
In 1931, the Times reported opening hours from 6 A.M. to 8:30 P.M. and that cafeteria guests could enjoy new lower prices, music by the Pryor Moore concert orchestra.[7]
The Schaber cousins expanded their cafeteria business through the 1950s and 1960s. However, in 1947, they sold the original Broadway location to Forum Cafeterias of America for $517,000, which renamed it the Forum Cafeteria.
In 1955 Schaber's opened its first branch in Valley Plaza in North Hollywood, at a cost of $500,000 ($5.69 million in 2023) with 350 seats.[8]
Other Schaber's locations continued operating under Erhard Schaber until the business was sold to Michael Weinreich in 1976. The North Hollywood location remained open until the late 1990s, when it closed in 1998 due to dwindling patronage. Meanwhile, the Broadway location was renamed Broadway Cafeteria in 1973 and operated into the 1980s.[1]
During the 1992 Los Angeles Riots the structure was destroyed except for the facade and mezzanine.[1]
Since 2008 it has housed various businesses, such as the Broadway Mart retail clothing store, then Les Noces du Figaro French bakery and most recently a (Michael) Jordan Family retail store.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Serving up the past". The Los Angeles Times. April 1, 1997. p. 23.
- ^ "Charles Fraser Plummer". Archinform. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "Charles F. Plummer". LA Conservancy. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "Plummer, Charles F. Architect". PCAD. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "New Cafeteria (Schaber's) to be Opened Soon on South Broadway". Los Angeles Evening Express. 4 April 1928. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "Plan Great New L.A. Cafeteria". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. April 6, 1928. p. 6.
- ^ "Music at Schaber's". The Los Angeles Times. November 20, 1931. p. 18.
- ^ "Al Dilernia New Manager of Schaber's". Los Angeles Mirror. August 19, 1955. p. 27.
- ^ "620 S. Broadway, Los Angeles CA". Google Maps. Retrieved 20 October 2024.