The Woolworth’s Lunch Counter Was a Unique Experience

Super Jumbo Banana Splits – today they can cost over $5, but in the 50s and 60s, you paid 39 cents.
Soft drinks – 10 cents.
Hamburger Platter – ¼ lb. Burger with cole slaw and french fries, 55 cents. Cheese was five cents extra (now it's 20 cents or more extra).
Scrambled eggs, ham, and fries: 60 cents.

And those were just a tip of the inexpensive iceberg.

Some of those lunch counters at Woolworth’s - depending what town you were in – could be very long with a group of maybe five or six lunch ladies (a/k/a/ waitresses) to keep filling coffee and taking orders.

The customers were continuous; there was hardly any time to take a breather and many times a prospective customer would stand and wait for someone to get up off their seat so they could grab it before someone else.

Many teens took their dates there for a burger, shake, and fries...and businessmen in their fancy suits even showed up to talk biz for an hour over coffee and a BLT.

The kids could sit there and nurse a Coke and read comic books while the parents did a little shopping...nowadays it’s too risky leaving your kids alone.

Menus sat on the countertops, about two feet apart, all the way down to the end. Signs showing specials and highlighted favorites were just above the mirrored wall behind the counter, making it easy for hungry customers to see. Most countertops were straight, where others were L-shaped, and a very few “U”-shaped ones.

For those who weren’t around at the time, you just can’t fathom how popular these were. They were simple, not extravagant or gaudy.....and try as some places might, the Woolworth’s Lunch Counter experience has never been duplicated. Here's a look...

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