Food Service History

Thermopolium

Place of refreshment in ancient Rome, a sort of snack bar where drinks and hot food were served

Guilds, Inns and Taverns

Provided food for travelers during the Medieval Period

1555

Year where the first coffeehouse was said to have opened

Istanbul

Place where coffeehouses said to have opened

Boulanger

French soup seller, credited with opening a restaurant serving individual portions with a menu

Grand Taverne de Londres

Considered a precursor to the modern restaurant, opened in Paris

Benjamin Franklin

Invented the Stove

E. Hoyt

Patented the Stove

Delmonico’s

First fine-dining restaurant in NYC.

George Escoffier

Revered by chefs and gourmets as the father of twentieth-century cookery professionalized the industry with the brigade de cuisine system and service a la russe.

Marie-Antoine Careme

French chef of the early 19th century, recognized as the founder of classically cuisine, known for establishing the foundation for modern French Haute cuisine

1921

Year where the first fast-food chain was introduced

Billy Ingram

Launched family-owned restaurant called White Castle

1940s

McDonalds gets popularized