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| If the tea room be located in one of the popular and fashionable shopping or amusement districts, it must be accessible, that is, if it is on the top floor, it must be reached conveniently and easily by an elevator. If there is no elevator, then no matter what the location may be it should not be above the second floor. The rental of such a place is usually considerable and is the principal item of expense. The furnishings need not be expensive, but they must be neat and attractive. |
TEA ROOMS AND RESTAURANTS
Tea Rooms-Catering-Fairs and Bazaars -Other Avenues
Closely associated with the General Information Bureau is what has come to be known as a tea room.
There are many tea rooms in the shopping and amusement districts of New York City. Women from distant parts of the city or from out of town, wearied by their tramping and shopping, find in these resorts a convenient place for rest and refreshment and also a rendezvous at which they may be assured of meeting their friends by appointment.
The number of these tea rooms has increased greatly and this should be regarded as an evidence of their prosperity. The expense of managing and running a tea room depends largely upon its locality and it should be stated that the locality is a vital matter in the success of the institution.
If the tea room be located in one of the popular and fashionable shopping or amusement districts, it must be accessible, that is, if it is on the top floor, it must be reached conveniently and easily by an elevator. If there is no elevator, then no matter what the location may be it should not be above the second floor. The rental of such a place is usually considerable and is the principal item of expense. The furnishings need not be expensive, but they must be neat and attractive.
The tables, chairs and rugs should be simple, unobtrusive and an evidence of taste. The china should be of the same character and, of course, it should be china, not a make believe, and the daintier the better. The table cover and napkins should be of good material. Spoons, knives and forks if such are required, should be genuine, or if imitation, they should be so nearly like the original that only an expert could detect the difference. The tea itself, with the cream and sugar, must be of the very best quality and served in the daintiest manner possible.
Some of these tea rooms might be called restaurants, for the owners are prepared to serve the tea which gives the place its name, sandwiches to accompany the tea, and also fruits in season, ice creams, and cold drinks flavored with fruit syrups; but all this the manager of the tea room will arrange for herself, when she has learned the character of her patrons.
Another thing to be considered is the personality of the owner of the establishment. It goes without saying that she must be a lady. We do not mean to use this term in its ordinary significance, for every good woman is a lady. Just here, however, it may be well to say that the word “lady” did not originally mean a high-born person or an aristocrat, but “one who supplied bread,” and, in this connection, it is entirely applicable to the keeper of a tea room.
Some of these tea rooms might be called restaurants, for the owners are prepared to serve the tea which gives the place its name, sandwiches to accompany the tea, and also fruits in season, ice creams, and cold drinks flavored with fruit syrups; but all this the manager of the tea room will arrange for herself, when she has learned the character of her patrons.
Another thing to be considered is the personality of the owner of the establishment. It goes without saying that she must be a lady. We do not mean to use this term in its ordinary significance, for every good woman is a lady. Just here, however, it may be well to say that the word “lady” did not originally mean a high-born person or an aristocrat, but “one who supplied bread,” and, in this connection, it is entirely applicable to the keeper of a tea room.
This apart, she should be a woman of education, tact, warm sympathies and personal magnetism. Quite as much upon these qualifications, which go towards making the character of a true lady, will depend success as upon the tea served or the manner of serving it.
If the proprietor of the tea room be invited to talk, and she usually is, her conversation should never be about herself. Her private affairs should be kept strictly private and all her talk should be about her guests or on subjects of general interest to them.
It is surprising how many failures have come to women, otherwise entirely competent, simply because they persisted in talking about themselves. Such talk usually deals with their former position of opulence, their families, their education and the disaster that brought them to their present position of dependence.
It is unnecessary to say that a woman, no matter what her education, birth, or refinements, who talks this way, degrades herself by degrading her position, for, as we have said before, it is not the work but the worker that makes a position honorable.
The proprietor of a tea room, and the same may be said of the proprietor of any store or work that brings the owner into contact with many customers, will do well to keep herself in the back-ground. This does not imply that if the curious or interested should ask as to her antecedents, she should not answer respectfully and satisfactorily, but it does mean that she shall not introduce her private affairs to people who are not even friends, but customers and transient visitors.
If the proprietor of the tea room be invited to talk, and she usually is, her conversation should never be about herself. Her private affairs should be kept strictly private and all her talk should be about her guests or on subjects of general interest to them.
It is surprising how many failures have come to women, otherwise entirely competent, simply because they persisted in talking about themselves. Such talk usually deals with their former position of opulence, their families, their education and the disaster that brought them to their present position of dependence.
It is unnecessary to say that a woman, no matter what her education, birth, or refinements, who talks this way, degrades herself by degrading her position, for, as we have said before, it is not the work but the worker that makes a position honorable.
The proprietor of a tea room, and the same may be said of the proprietor of any store or work that brings the owner into contact with many customers, will do well to keep herself in the back-ground. This does not imply that if the curious or interested should ask as to her antecedents, she should not answer respectfully and satisfactorily, but it does mean that she shall not introduce her private affairs to people who are not even friends, but customers and transient visitors.
No matter how patiently people may listen to the story of our misfortunes or blasted aspirations; no matter how they may pretend to sympathize, as a matter of fact, they will leave with a feeling that they have been bored and a resolve that they will not submit themselves to such boredom again. A very wise French philosopher said that: “A bore is a person who persists in talking about himself when we wish to talk about ourselves.” —From Helpful Talks With Girls, 1910
🍽️Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia
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