Dew Drop Inn and Lettuce Entertain You:
Onomastic Sobriquets in the Food and Beverage Industry

Coffee houses, restaurants and taverns are social retreats where people meet and eat, drink and converse, conduct business and celebrate family and professional occasions.  The names of these gathering places are as diverse as the coffee, cocktails and cuisine which they serve to their customers.  Their business names reflect the nature of the food or drink which they ply (China Buffet, Pizzeria Uno, Shaw's Crab House, Steak 'N' Egger), their proprietor's names (Harry Caray's, Michael Jordan's), or their geographic location (Bourbon Street Cafe, Chicago Chop House).

The names of others, however, constitute clever word plays (Once Upon a Thai, Thai Tanic and Thai Foon), or mimic proper names and literary characters (The Hearty Boys, Lawrence of Oregano), book titles (Tequila Mockingbird), commercial establishments (Grub Med Greek Ristorante, Lettuce Entertain You), ethnic designations and distortions (Bohemian Crystal, Carlos Murphys), humorous epithets (The Honest Lawyer, The Jewish Mother), films (Dog Day Afternoon), phrases (Relish the Thought), songs (Grill from Ipanema), and brand and trade name puns (Quaker Steak and Lube).

In this paper, examples of international onomastic appellations are presented which demonstrate that the names of contemporary dining and drinking establishments serve as semantic and/or humorous reflections of societal mores.

Dew Drop Inn and Lettuce Entertain You:
Onomastic Sobriquets in the Food and Beverage Industry

The word restaurant is derived from the French verb restauer, meaning "to restore" (Stern, 2000).  A variety of terms can be used as synonyms for the general term restaurant because each carries a different connotation.  These include cafeterias, coffee shops, diners, eateries, lunch rooms, tea rooms and untold places that include the words house as in hash house, roadhouse, or seafood house.  The decision of what to name a restaurant can be as critical as what is on the menu because it is one of the first and lasting impressions customers receive (Ursin, 1997).

Burritoville, Chinese Kitchen, The Coffee Cup, , Goldyburgers, Mr. Beef, the Original Sandwich Factory, Parkys Hot Dogs, Pisa Pizza, Skyline Chili and Taste of India are examples of names of dining and drinking establishments which reflect the type of food and drink which is served in them. This is a most common type of restaurant place name appellation.  However, just as common are restaurants which have such ambiguous monikers as Call Me Moose, The Clubhouse, Melody Lane, The Neutral Zone, Pops Place, To Your Taste and Wishbone.  Potential patrons perusing the yellow pages would have no idea as to what type of food or drink to expect from any of these.  A roadhouse in Windsor, Ontario, which has the pernicious patronym, Roadkill Café, may be intriguing to some potential customers but reprehensible to others!

Restaurants are often named after their proprietors.  Charlie Trotters, Harry Carays, Michael Anthony & More, Michael Jordans and the favorite of Canadians, Tim Hortons (for doughnuts).  Dining establishments named for their geographic locations are common in the extreme and again
often offer no clue as to the type of cuisine served in them.  The Corner Restaurant (Brookfield, IL), Michaels on the Thames (London, ON) and the Riverside Restaurant (Riverside, IL) are examples of these.  Other restaurants may be named after geographic locations which have no relation to their actual physical location such as The Cape Cod Room in Chicago.  There is another category of names in the food and beverage industry which reflect contemporary culture and which are characterized by their amusing and titillating patronyms and puns.  These dining establishments
have been organized into the following distinct divisions within which their names are listed in alphabetical order.  The geographic location is given when they refer to individual businesses.  If the establishments are part of a chain or a franchise, this is duly noted.  Every attempt has been made to be comprehensive in cuisine and international in geographic location.

COFFEE HOUSES, ESPRESSO BARS and PASTRY SHOPS

Aroma Borealis, Alberta, Edmonton, CN

Brew Ha Ha, Phoenix, AZ

Brewed Awakenings (chain)

Bump and Grind Café (American chain and also one with the same name in Sydney, Australia)

Common Grounds, Syracuse, NY

Cup-A-Cabana, Corvallis, OR

The Daily Grind, Oceanside, NY and Seattle, WA
The Daily Grind Coffee House and Bakery, Cullman, AL
The Daily Grind Cyber Café, Oak Park, IL

Espresso Yourself, Juneau, AK

Full of Beans (defunct) Mystic, CN

Gotta Hava Java, Saskatoon, CN (chain)

Grounds for Divorce, Santa Barbara, CA

Happy Endings, Syracuse, NY

Higher Grounds, (chain)

Hot Shotz, Washington, D.C.

In the Black, NY, NY

Jolt N Bolt Coffee & Tea House, Washington, DC

Just Desserts, (5 in the San Francisco Bay area of California; another by
the same name in Sydney, Australia)

Late for the Train, Flagstaff, AZ

Latte Da, Anchorage, AK
Latte Da Coffeehouse, San Leandro, CA
Latte Da Coffee Cafe, Longmont, CO (chain)
Latte Da Coffee Club , Sarasota, FL
Latte Da Coffee Stop Cafe, Chelan, WA

Legal Grounds, Dallas, TX

Northern Lattes, Anchorage, AK

Perked Up, Denver, CO

Pony Espresso, Dubois, WY, on the pony express route (and also a few in UT)

Sacred Grounds, San Francisco, CA

Some Things Brewing (chain)

Spill the Beans Espresso Cafe, Sheboygan, WI

Sufficient Grounds, Berkeley, CA

Sweet Dreams, San Francisco, CA

Thats Aroma, Edmonton, CN

Uncommon Grounds, (chain) based in Berkeley, CA

HOT DOGS

The ubiquitous hot dog is found everywhere in the United States.  In fact, on May 11, 2001, a special program on the hot dog and hot dog businesses was aired on PBS.

CHICAGO STYLE HOT DOGS

A classic Chicago-style hot dog is served on a poppy seed bun with yellow mustard, pickle relish, hot sport peppers and celery salt.  Chopped raw onions, sliced tomatoes and pickle spears are also routinely served with them.  However, there is one hard and fast rule which distinguishes the Chicago-style hot dog from those of any other city--no catsup.  Sauerkraut is best left to the street carts of New York City. The following twenty-one hot dog purveyors are located in the United States.  The most clever appellations, however, are concentrated in Chicago.

Als Fun in the Bun, Chicago, IL
Bobs Barkers, Syracuse, NY
Dog House, (chain)
Dog Day Afternoon, Chicago, IL
Eat It and Beat It, Western suburbs, Chicago, IL
First National Frank, Chicago, IL (defunct)
Franks A Lot, East Dundee, IL
Franks for the Memories, Mundelein, IL
Frank n Stein (chain)
Hot Diggity Dawgs, Gurneee, IL
Mustards Last Stand, Evanston, IL
There is another of these in Colorado which serves purportedly Chicago-style hot dogs
Puppy Love, Plymouth, NH
Red Hot Mamas, Chicago, IL
Relish the Thought, Chicago, IL
Red Hot Lovers, Ann Arbor, MI
Tail o the Pup, Los Angeles area, CA
U DAWG U, Niles and Glenview, IL
Wiener and Still Champion, Evanston, IL
Wiener Take All, Buffalo Grove, IL
The Wieners Circle, Chicago, Il
3 Dog Night, Chicago, IL (defunct)

ASIAN RESTAURANTS

Proprietors of restaurants serving up Asian food have exhibited some marvelous creativity in their naming practices.  Here are some of the best.

Beau Thai, Portland, OR
Bow Thai, Margate, FL
Once Upon a Thai, Chicago, IL
Shang Chai, a Kosher Chinese Restaurant, Brookline, MA
Shang was for an early pre-500 B.C. dynasty. Chai is Mandarin or Cantonese for tea; in addition to chi being the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, it is a Jewish letter/symbol for lifelchim in Hebrew/Yiddish. So it constitutes a triple word play!
Seoul Food (Korean bar-b-que), CO
TenPenh, an Asian-inspired restaurant so named for its location on the corner of 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.
One that should be popular among attorneys is the Sue Mee, Mt. Prospect, IL
Thai Foon, San Diego, CA and Newton, New South Wales, Australia
Thai Panic, Sydney, Australia
Thai Tanic, Sydney, Australia
Tokyo Rose, Charlottesville, VA
Try My Thai, Hollywood, FL
Wok n Roll, (chain)
Wok-N-Roll, (Japanese cuisine), Pasadena, CA
Wok N Roll Buffet, Manassas, VA

WORD PLAYS

Adams Rib, Riverdale, IL
Ally Gators Restaurant, Kissimmee, FL
Bowled-Over, Morton Grove, IL
Casa Too Mucha, New Hartford, NY
Counter Culture, Portland, OR and Santa Fe, NM (sandwich shops serving ethnic food)
Crepevine, San Francisco, CA
Cross-Rhodes, Evanston, IL (Greek)
Crystal Pallas, Arlington, VA (Greek)
Custards Last Stand, Boulder Dam, NV (founded in 1946, it serves soft ice cream)
Eggspectations, Montreal, PQ
Great Eggs Pectations is the menu at the Fresh Start Cafe in Elmhurst, IL where they serve such dishes as the Empty Nest Egg, Eggs Actly, and Egg Cellent.
5 & Diner, Tucson, AZ
Food 2 U, Berwyn, IL
For Heaven's Cakes. Atlanta, GA
The Good Steer, Lake Grove, NY (as opposed to "a bum steer")
Once Upon A Vine, St. Louis, MO
Pelicatessen Fine Foods, Naples, FL
Queue de Cheval, Montreal, PQ (literally the Horses Tail, figuratively, the Horses Ass, a steak house." They bill themselves as vegetarian because their motto is "All our cows eat only grass."
The Real Macaw, Naples, FL
Sir Loins, Arkansas chain
The Steak Out, Tucson, AZ
Steak-Out Char Broiled Delivery, Mobile, AL
Star Spangled Bagel Boy
The Stinking Rose (a restaurant specializing in garlic dishes), San Francisco, CA
Sub Contractor, Pompano Beach, FL
Too Good Eggs, Margate, FL
II Jacks, Chicago, IL (named after the father and son proprietors, both of whom are named Jack)

BOOK and MAGAZINE TITLES and LITERARY CHARACTERS

Eaton Gogh, Norfolk, VA
Field and Stream, Minot, ND
Grateful Bread, Seattle, WA
The Hearty Boys, Chicago, IL
Jonathan Livingston Seafood, a defunct Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, Chicago, IL
Lawrence of Oregano Pub, Halifax, NS
Mad Dogs & Englishmen, Tampa, FL
The Virginian, Charlottesville, VA
Zane Graze Caf & News, Albuquerque, NM
Ethnic Designations and Distortions
Bohemian Crystal, Westmont, IL,
Carlos Murphys (chain)
Carlos OKellys, Topeka, KS
Jose O'Shea's, CO
Panchos Villa, (chain)
Red Square, Miami Beach, FL
Films and Television
Breakfast at Tiffanys, Clinton, NY
Butterfield 9, Washington, DC
A Fish Called Avalon, Miami Beach, FL
Goodfellas, Tampa, Fl (and others)
The King and I, Minneapolis, MN
My Tin Man diner, Falmouth, Cape Cod, full of Wizard of Oz memorabilia
Pulp Kitchen, Santa Fe, NM
Notz Landing, CO
Shogun (sushi), CO
Tequila Mockingbird, defunct bar in Chicago, IL

HUMOROUS EPITHETS

The Honest Lawyer, London, ON
The Jewish Mother, Virginia Beach, VA
The Perfect Wife, Manchester, VT

WORDS and PHRASES

Auntie Pastos, Honolulu, HA
Bread Line, Washington, DC
By The Way, Syracuse, NY
By Word of Mouth, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Elbow Room, Vancouver, BC
"French Toast of the Town," is a cinnamon swirl confection at the Dennys chain.
Hook, Line & Sinker, New Hartford, NY
Its All Greek to Me, Tampa, FL
Its Greek to Me, Minneapolis, MN
Judge for Yourself, restaurant located a block from the courts, Santa Barbara, CA
Let Them Eat Cake (pastry shop, chain)
Lox, Stock and Bagel, (chain)
The Melting Pot, (a fondue chain restaurant)
Nut-N-Fanci, Syracuse, NY
Off the Eaten Path, Tampa, FL
Parma Johnnys, Champion, PA
Pasta La Vista, Winnipeg, CN
Pastabilities, Syracuse, NY
Rolling in the Dough Company 3, Hinsdale, IL
SideBerns in Tampa, FL is the "little sister" restaurant to the famous Berns Steak House
Veritable Quandary, Portland, OR
Whatever 4 Restaurant, Cicero, IL
Whats Your Beef, Syracuse, NY
The Whole Enchilada, Moss Landing, CA

PIZZA

Augies Tower of Pizza, New Orleans, LA
Pizzadelic, Montreal, Quebec, CN
Upper Crust, Santa Fe, NM

BARS

Bar None, 4900 sq. ft. party bar in Hoboken, NJ
Bar None, Singapore Marriott Hotel, China
Bar None Cafe, gourmet vegetarian cuisine, Courtenay, Vancouver Island, BC., Canada
Carpool, a bar-restaurant w/pool tables that is housed in a former car dealership, Washington, DC
Chez When, San Antonio, TX
Daves Not Here, Santa Fe, NM
Hes Not Here, Forest Park, IL and Ontario, CN
Hung Jury, Washington, DC, (lawyer lunch crowd, lesbian/gay bar at night)
Rhythm and Brews, Jackson, MS
Sit and Bull, Chicago, IL
Stoned Crow, wine bar, Australia
Spread Eagle, Australia

SONGS

Blueberry Hill, St. Louis, MO
Boogie Woogie Bagel Boy, Alameda, CA
Brew Moon, Honolulu, HA
Catch A Rising Star, NY, NY
Chances R, York, New Brunswick, CN
Fus Rush Inn, Hewlett, NY
Grill from Ipanema, Washington, DC
Hello Deli, Albuquerque, NM
The Dennys restaurant chain has an item on the menu called "Moons Over My Hammy," which is a ham and egg sandwich on grilled sourdough bread.
Jamaica Me Crazy Chops are served at the Rainforest Caf chain. 
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (a full service restaurant company), Chicago, IL
O Salad Mio, Washington, DC
YesterDaves, Albuquerque, NM (50s restaurant)

BRAND and TRADE NAME PUNS

Barnum and Bagel (chain)
First Federal Frank & Crust, St. Louis, MO
Grub Med Greek Ristorante, Edmonton, Alberta, CN
Quaker Steak & Lube, a play on Quaker State Motor Oil originally from western PA
Snacks Fifth Avenue (chain)

SEAFOOD

The Angry Trout, Grand Marais, MN, specializes in grilled lake trout
The Boston Sea Party (chain)
The Contented Sole, West Palm Beach, FL
Justfor the Halibut Fish n Chips Caf, Haines, AK
Maine-ly Lobster, Albuquerque, NM
The Merry Crab, Seychelles Islands
Somethings Fishy, Santa Barbara, CA
Wholly Mackerel, Jackson, MS and Covington, LA

INNS

The Barge Inn, Syracuse, NY (once a canal town)
Come Back Inn (all over)
Come Along Inn, Fort Worth, TX
Dew Drop Inn, a search in Google, turned up almost 4,000 matches and in Yahoo over 1000 for businesses with this name. There were over 300 matches in Google for businesses with the moniker, Do-Drop-Inn.
Inn Between, Syracuse, NY
The Inn Place, Pittsburgh, PA
Follow Me Inn, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
Pack-em-Inn, Tucson, AZ
Peer Inn Bar & Grill adjacent to Pier 39 on SFs Embarcadero
Stumble Inn, Buffalo, NY
Stroll Inn, Pittsburgh, PA
Tune Inn, Washington, DC
Welcome Inn, Syracuse, NY
The Yall Come Back Inn, Lockhart, TX

RESTAURANT DELIVERY and CATERERS

Food on the Move, Seffner, FL
Dine One One, Tampa, Fl (this is an establishment that delivers food from 40 different area restaurants)
Lettuce Deliver, Pompano Beach, FL

CONCLUSION

My personal favorite, from the perspective of a librarian and bibliophile, is the Table of Contents, Minneapolis, MN. In this vein, there is also the Washington , D.C. Afterwords Bookstore and Espresso Bar and Footnotes Café.

REFERENCES

Flaneur, Justin. "Dogging it: Finding the best of Chicago hot dogs as summer winds down." Chicago Sun-Times, "City Living," August 24, 2000, 8.

Stern, Jane and Michael Stern. "Whats in a name?  Food terms now have different meanings." Nations Restaurant News 34:44 (February 14, 2000).

Ursin, Cheryl. "What's In A Name?" Restaurants USA, 17:34, (February 1997). 

Lynn C. Hattendorf Westney, Associate Professor, Assistant Reference Librarian Coordinator of Reference Collection Development and Coordinator of CRRC: Career and Resume Resources Collection

The University of Illinois at Chicago
The Richard J. Daley Library (MC/234) Box 8198, Chicago, IL 60680-8198 USA

Reference Department: 312-996-2728 Lynn's Office: 312-413-3045 (bounces back to Reference after 4 rings) FAX: 312-413-0424