Britling Cafeterias was a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants, originating in Birmingham, Alabama. During the late 1920s, Britling opened three cafeterias in downtown Birmingham, Alabama.[1][2] The Britling chain in Memphis, along with B&W Cafeterias in Nashville, Tennessee and Blue Boar Cafeterias in Louisville, Kentucky, were under common ownership in their latter years. All have now closed.
History
Little information about the company's beginnings is publicly available, except that John H. Holcomb of Birmingham owned it. Originally, the Birmingham and Memphis cafeterias were part of one company. Still, in about 1930, the Birmingham cafeteria was taken over by First National Bank due to financial hardship, with Holcomb later buying the Birmingham operation from the bank. They agreed that the Britling name be continued in both locations.
In their heyday, the Britling cafeterias were local institutions in Birmingham and Memphis, particularly the earlier downtown locations. The First Avenue North location in Birmingham was a popular gathering spot in the late 1940s and 1950s, even featuring live music. The Twentieth St. North location featured seating on a balcony overlooking the main floor and was also connected to the Third Avenue North cafeteria; the two downtown Memphis cafeterias were similar.