Coon Chicken Inn
Encyclopedia
Coon Chicken Inn was an American chain of three restaurants founded by Maxon Lester Graham and Adelaide Burt in 1925, which prospered until the late 1950s. The restaurant's name (which uses an ethnic slur), trademark
s, and entrances of the restaurants were designed to look like a smiling blackface
caricature of an African-American porter
. The smiling capped porter head also appeared on menus, dishes, and promotional items.
The first Coon Chicken Inn was opened in suburban Salt Lake City, Utah
in 1925. In 1929, another restaurant was opened in then-suburban Lake City near Seattle, Washington
, and a third was opened in the Hollywood District of Portland, Oregon
, in 1931. Later, a cabaret
, orchestra, and catering
were added to the Seattle and Salt Lake restaurants.
The restaurant and themes were popular in their day and place. Today, Coon Chicken Inn items are part of the genre of racist art and black memorabilia. Memorabilia of the restaurant is collectible, and reproduction novelty items using Coon Chicken Inn logos are often available on Internet trade and auction sites.
Seeing the changes in popular culture, the chain ended when the owners retired; keeping the real estate, they leased to other restaurateurs.
The franchise is referenced in the 2001
cult film Ghost World
, as well as 2004
mockumentary
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
.
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
s, and entrances of the restaurants were designed to look like a smiling blackface
Blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...
caricature of an African-American porter
Porter (railroad)
A porter is a railway employee assigned to assist passengers aboard a passenger train or to handle their baggage; it may be used particularly to refer to employees assigned to assisting passengers in the sleeping cars....
. The smiling capped porter head also appeared on menus, dishes, and promotional items.
The first Coon Chicken Inn was opened in suburban Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
in 1925. In 1929, another restaurant was opened in then-suburban Lake City near Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, and a third was opened in the Hollywood District of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, in 1931. Later, a cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
, orchestra, and catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
were added to the Seattle and Salt Lake restaurants.
The restaurant and themes were popular in their day and place. Today, Coon Chicken Inn items are part of the genre of racist art and black memorabilia. Memorabilia of the restaurant is collectible, and reproduction novelty items using Coon Chicken Inn logos are often available on Internet trade and auction sites.
Seeing the changes in popular culture, the chain ended when the owners retired; keeping the real estate, they leased to other restaurateurs.
The franchise is referenced in the 2001
2001 in film
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
cult film Ghost World
Ghost World (film)
Ghost World is a 2001 comedy-drama film directed by Terry Zwigoff, based on the comic book of the same name and screenplay by Daniel Clowes...
, as well as 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America is a 2004 mockumentary directed by Kevin Willmott. It is a fictional "tongue-in-cheek" account of an alternate history, in which the Confederates won the American Civil War, establishing the new Confederate States of America...
.
External links
- History of Coon Chicken Inn, Ferris State UniversityFerris State UniversityFerris State University is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1884 as the Big Rapids Industrial School by Woodbridge Nathan Ferris, an educator from New England who later served as governor of the State of Michigan and finally in the US Senate where...
Museum of Racist Memorabilia - Coon Chicken Inn: North Seattle's Beacon of Bigotry, Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History ProjectSeattle Civil Rights and Labor History ProjectThe Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, of the Pacific Northwest Labor and Civil Rights History Projects, is dedicated to social movements and labor history in the Pacific Northwest. It is directed by Professor James N. Gregory of the University of Washington...
- Historical Highlights of Hollywood: Coon Chicken Inn from Portland State UniversityPortland State UniversityPortland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
- Coon Chicken Inn from blackpast.org
- CoonChickenInn.com Historical website with information on both reproduction and authentic memoribilia