The 735 employees of Daystrom Instrument Division Plant in Archbald can enjoy a hot or cold meal everyday in the plant’s cafeteria.
The cafeteria was open each day from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The main cafeteria accommodated 400 people with a smaller auxiliary cafeteria that accommodated 200.
The plant’s employees each received a 45 minute lunch break.
Food is served with a smile and received with a smile daily at the Daystrom Instrument Division Plant in Archbald. Vivian Bianchini, cashier/bookkeeper, left, lend a hand in serving the salads to Daystrom’s office workers, while Esther Solomon, at right back to camera, serves the hot meal of the day. TIMES-TRIBUNE ARCHIVES
The cafeteria staff, which is headed by Joseph Messier, cooked up all sorts of items for the employees each day such as soup, meat, vegetables, hot and cold sandwiches, salads, desserts (ice cream, cake, pie and jello) and beverages (hot or iced tea, coffee, chocolate and white milk and buttermilk).
Daystrom’s office personnel and factory workers dine the cafeteria as “one, big, happy family.” The cafeteria is located in a well ventilated section of the Daystrom facility. TIMES-TRIBUNE ARCHIVES
Here is recent menu from the cafeteria – Split Pea soup, broiled pork tenderloin with country gravy or corned beef hash, baked beans, pork and beans, sauerkraut, cold ham platter, lettuce and tomato, macaroni salad, cole slaw, cottage cheese, boiled ham, American cheese, pimento loaf and egg salad sandwiches.
Lunch was provided to employees at a reasonable price.
The photos and brief article on the Daystrom Cafeteria ran in the Scranton Times on July 31, 1952.
Here are few other food and drink items from the July 31, 1952 edition of the paper –
The Scranton Times – July 31, 1952
The Scranton Times – July 31, 1952
The Scranton Times – July 31, 1952
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
