Holyoke's Waldorf Lunch was one of the first restaurant chains in America and the first in New England. The chain was founded in 1903 by Henry S. Kelsey in Springfield.
In April 1922, the parent corporation purchased the former Guyott Hotel building at 328-330 High Street for $70,000. The restaurant would occupy the corner location at 330 High Street.
The photo shows the Holyoke restaurant at the corner of Division Street. It opened on September 9, 1922, and operated on a 24-hour schedule until May 1943.
At its height, the chain had approximately 200 restaurants in cities from Boston to Buffalo, the first was in Springfield, where it was originally headquartered.
In keeping with its full name, Waldorf Lunch System, the business emphasized standardization. Food was supplied from central commissaries and served at counters in the rear of each store. Customers would carry their trays to select their food choices, pay for their meals, and walk to their tables. It was described as a cafeteria-style restaurant.
In 1925, morning newspapers were supplied at each table. Customers could remove their newspapers for later reading upon leaving the premises.
On March 28, 1945, Waldorf sold the building for about half of its original purchase price.
The Waldorf ended its Holyoke operation on September 27, 1945. Restaurant Associates purchased the Restaurant chain in the 1960s, and by the 1970s, its name was no longer used.
Other businesses operated at 330 High Street, including Vincent's Cafeteria from 1946 to 1948, Shea Cleaners from 1951 to 1956, and One Hour Martinizing Dry Cleaners, which opened in the early 1960s and into the 1990s. More recently, in 2015, Champ Law occupied this storefront.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates are shown.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Waldorf System
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