After serving with the US Army occupation forces in Japan following World War II, Dick Nelson began a long career with the Schrafft’s Restaurant chain in New York City. Schrafft's was a very successful and popular chain of restaurants and ice cream parlors that dotted the urban landscape of New York City and other east coast venues from about the nineteen hundreds until the mid-seventies. They combined two distinctly different dining elements under one roof: the ice cream parlor counter, where breakfast, lunch, and dinner were served, with the amenities of a classic sit-down restaurant for customers who preferred more casual dining at lunch and dinner. A single kitchen served both areas in the same store. The food was always good, and the prices were quite affordable. In hindsight, it was one of the better meals for the price. Of course, the stores also sold Schraffts famous candy and ice cream.
Dick, ever the industrious one, started out as a “soda jerk” behind the counter serving breakfast and lunch at the 281 Broadway store in the financial district of downtown Manhattan. The term “soda jerk” came about because the counter service was originally geared to serving all kinds of ice cream specialties, especially during the warmer months. A good soda jerk could make three ice cream sodas all at one time by holding the three glasses in one hand while manipulating the ingredients with the other. (I know – I was one, and I was very good at it!). However, the same personnel also served the breakfast and lunch crowds. Typical attire for a soda jerk at Schraffts was a white shirt and black bowtie. The pants were less critical because an apron always covered them.
Dick was always early for work to serve the breakfast crowd. Breakfast was brisk, but it was lunch where Dick really began to shine and show off his skills. Each soda jerk was assigned a given number of seats at the counter, and before long Dick developed a gathering of regulars. His service was nothing short of superior. But what added to his growing list of customers was his charm and wit, both of which were always sincere. (His good looks and 6’-2” frame didn’t hurt either!). He was always successful at drawing a smile from a customer, usually because of a witty comment. However, once he got to know a customer well, he would often tease them with insulting comments, often by surprise, by saying such things as, “What the hell do you want for lunch today?” Or if one of them asked him a question, his most famous surprise reply was, “I don’t think it’s any of your business!” Invariably the customer laughed, usually quite hard. It reached a point where Dick regularly had several customers lined up behind each of his assigned seats during the busy lunch hour, simply because of the superior service he offered with his wit. Often times he would take an order from a customer standing in line, and by the time he/she sat down, Dick had the order ready and waiting. For years Dick’s family had a marvelous Christmas because of the Christmas tips he made from his regular customers.
Dick, ever the industrious one, started out as a “soda jerk” behind the counter serving breakfast and lunch at the 281 Broadway store in the financial district of downtown Manhattan. The term “soda jerk” came about because the counter service was originally geared to serving all kinds of ice cream specialties, especially during the warmer months. A good soda jerk could make three ice cream sodas all at one time by holding the three glasses in one hand while manipulating the ingredients with the other. (I know – I was one, and I was very good at it!). However, the same personnel also served the breakfast and lunch crowds. Typical attire for a soda jerk at Schraffts was a white shirt and black bowtie. The pants were less critical because an apron always covered them.
Dick was always early for work to serve the breakfast crowd. Breakfast was brisk, but it was lunch where Dick really began to shine and show off his skills. Each soda jerk was assigned a given number of seats at the counter, and before long Dick developed a gathering of regulars. His service was nothing short of superior. But what added to his growing list of customers was his charm and wit, both of which were always sincere. (His good looks and 6’-2” frame didn’t hurt either!). He was always successful at drawing a smile from a customer, usually because of a witty comment. However, once he got to know a customer well, he would often tease them with insulting comments, often by surprise, by saying such things as, “What the hell do you want for lunch today?” Or if one of them asked him a question, his most famous surprise reply was, “I don’t think it’s any of your business!” Invariably the customer laughed, usually quite hard. It reached a point where Dick regularly had several customers lined up behind each of his assigned seats during the busy lunch hour, simply because of the superior service he offered with his wit. Often times he would take an order from a customer standing in line, and by the time he/she sat down, Dick had the order ready and waiting. For years Dick’s family had a marvelous Christmas because of the Christmas tips he made from his regular customers.
One of the more delightful stories Dick told was of two Catholic nuns who regularly came to his station and ordered Manhattans in a teacup!
Dick’s successes influenced his older brother Warren to try his hand at soda jerking. Warren worked at the Schrafft's 912 Flatbush Avenue store in Brooklyn for a few years in the mid fifties, and arranged for younger brother Gene to work there for a few summers. Gene began washings dishes in the basement, and then graduated to soda jerk. The summer before he started college (1957) he earned enough to launch his short-lived career at Pratt Institute School of Architecture. (The Flatbush Avenue store was across the avenue from Erasmus Hall High School, where both Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond were students and members of the chorus, though at different times. The school boasts a number of famous alumni.) Gene rode the last trolley route in Brooklyn on his way to and from the Schrafft's store.
In his later years Dick became a store manager for the Schraffts chain. Before he moved his family from Abington, Pennsylvania to Spencer, North Carolina in 1973, he was managing a Schraffts store and restautant in a Philadelphia suburb. By then he had been with the company for almost thirty years.
While Googling “Schraffts” I came across this link, so I bought the book and mailed it to Dick's wife Pat as a keepsake. The customer reviews are indeed interesting.
http://www.amazon.com/When-Everybody-Ate-Schraffts-Restaurant/dp/1569802955
Dick’s successes influenced his older brother Warren to try his hand at soda jerking. Warren worked at the Schrafft's 912 Flatbush Avenue store in Brooklyn for a few years in the mid fifties, and arranged for younger brother Gene to work there for a few summers. Gene began washings dishes in the basement, and then graduated to soda jerk. The summer before he started college (1957) he earned enough to launch his short-lived career at Pratt Institute School of Architecture. (The Flatbush Avenue store was across the avenue from Erasmus Hall High School, where both Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond were students and members of the chorus, though at different times. The school boasts a number of famous alumni.) Gene rode the last trolley route in Brooklyn on his way to and from the Schrafft's store.
In his later years Dick became a store manager for the Schraffts chain. Before he moved his family from Abington, Pennsylvania to Spencer, North Carolina in 1973, he was managing a Schraffts store and restautant in a Philadelphia suburb. By then he had been with the company for almost thirty years.
While Googling “Schraffts” I came across this link, so I bought the book and mailed it to Dick's wife Pat as a keepsake. The customer reviews are indeed interesting.
http://www.amazon.com/When-Everybody-Ate-Schraffts-Restaurant/dp/1569802955
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