Penny Cafeteria, Depression-era restaurant in Manhattan, United States.
Penny Cafeteria was a restaurant located on Third Avenue in Manhattan between 34th and 35th Street that served vegetarian meals during the Great Depression. The space offered simple, nourishing dishes including cracked wheat, oatmeal, soups, and whole wheat bread to feed the local community.
The restaurant was founded in December 1931 by the Bernarr MacFadden Foundation as the economic crisis deepened across the country. MacFadden had previously tested a similar concept at City Hall Place in 1902, which inspired him to open this new establishment.
The cafeteria served between 2,500 and 3,000 customers on its first day, providing dishes like cracked wheat, Scotch oatmeal, soups, and whole wheat bread.
Meals were priced to be extremely affordable, with a single dish costing one penny and a full five-course meal available for five cents. These low costs meant that people with limited money could still obtain a complete, nutritious meal.
Founder Bernarr MacFadden invested a substantial fortune of five million dollars into this venture to help people during the crisis. His deep belief that good food and health should be accessible to everyone drove this unusual business experiment.
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