Dubrow's Cafeteria
Encyclopedia
Dubrow's Cafeteria was a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants in Manhattan
, Brooklyn
, and Miami Beach. Dubrow's was established in 1929 by an immigrant named Benjamin Dubrow (also known as "Barney" or "Pops", nee Mowsoha Bencian Dubrowensky). Dubrow was married to Rose Solowey, from the country now known as Belarus
. Benjamin's descendants worked at and managed the various restaurants, including George Dubrow, his son (who died in a car crash in Florida), his grandsons, Irwin Dubrow and Paul Tobin, and his sons-in-law, Irving Kaplan (who married his daughter Sylvia) and Max Tobin (who married to his daughter Minnie.) Max and Minnie had three children: Paul, Sheila, and Anita (Nini), while Irving and Sylvia had three children as well: Beth Wald, Bonnie Lyons
, and Laura Levin. Paul Tobin went on to manage Dubrow's for many years, along with Irving Kaplan, until it eventually closed.
Dubrow's was a New York City landmark for many decades with restaurants in both Manhattan
and Brooklyn
and later, Miami.
The first Dubrow's Cafeteria was established on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. The Manhattan Dubrow's was an important part of New York's Garment district in the early- to mid-twentieth century. It was a hub of activity for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
.
Many famous politicians used both the Brooklyn and the Manhattan locations as stumping spots for their political campaigns. These included Presidents John F. Kennedy
, and Jimmy Carter
when they were running for office, Robert Kennedy, and Hugh Carey
and W. Averell Harriman
, both former governors of New York. According to multiple biographies, the famous baseball player Sandy Koufax
announced his decision to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers in front of Dubrow's Cafeteria on Kings Highway in Brooklyn. The children's author Bruce Coville
also wrote about working at Dubrow's for a brief period of time. The Manhattan Dubrow's was the site of the American Playhouse
production "The Cafeteria", based on the short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
, which was featured on PBS
.
The last Dubrow's, located in the Garment District in Manhattan, closed in 1985.
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, and Miami Beach. Dubrow's was established in 1929 by an immigrant named Benjamin Dubrow (also known as "Barney" or "Pops", nee Mowsoha Bencian Dubrowensky). Dubrow was married to Rose Solowey, from the country now known as Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. Benjamin's descendants worked at and managed the various restaurants, including George Dubrow, his son (who died in a car crash in Florida), his grandsons, Irwin Dubrow and Paul Tobin, and his sons-in-law, Irving Kaplan (who married his daughter Sylvia) and Max Tobin (who married to his daughter Minnie.) Max and Minnie had three children: Paul, Sheila, and Anita (Nini), while Irving and Sylvia had three children as well: Beth Wald, Bonnie Lyons
Bonnie Lyons
Bonnie Lyons is an American writer and academic.Bonnie was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived there until she was five years old, at which point she moved to Miami Beach. Her grandparents were Benjamin and Rebecca Kaplan and Benjamin and Rose Dubrow, all of whom were originally from Minsk,...
, and Laura Levin. Paul Tobin went on to manage Dubrow's for many years, along with Irving Kaplan, until it eventually closed.
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and later, Miami.
The first Dubrow's Cafeteria was established on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. The Manhattan Dubrow's was an important part of New York's Garment district in the early- to mid-twentieth century. It was a hub of activity for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union was once one of the largest labor unions in the United States, one of the first U.S. unions to have a primarily female membership, and a key player in the labor history of the 1920s and 1930s...
.
Many famous politicians used both the Brooklyn and the Manhattan locations as stumping spots for their political campaigns. These included Presidents John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, and Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
when they were running for office, Robert Kennedy, and Hugh Carey
Hugh Carey
Hugh Leo Carey was an American attorney, the 51st Governor of New York from 1975 to 1982, and a seven-term United States Representative .- Early life :...
and W. Averell Harriman
W. Averell Harriman
William Averell Harriman was an American Democratic Party politician, businessman, and diplomat. He was the son of railroad baron E. H. Harriman. He served as Secretary of Commerce under President Harry S. Truman and later as the 48th Governor of New York...
, both former governors of New York. According to multiple biographies, the famous baseball player Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
announced his decision to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers in front of Dubrow's Cafeteria on Kings Highway in Brooklyn. The children's author Bruce Coville
Bruce Coville
Bruce Coville is an American author of children's and young adult novels. He was born in Syracuse, New York and lives there currently; he has spent most of his life there, leaving to attend Duke University and then to live in New York City....
also wrote about working at Dubrow's for a brief period of time. The Manhattan Dubrow's was the site of the American Playhouse
American Playhouse
American Playhouse is an anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service in the United States.It premiered on January 12, 1982 with The Shady Hill Kidnapping, written and narrated by John Cheever and directed by Paul Bogart...
production "The Cafeteria", based on the short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Isaac Bashevis Singer – July 24, 1991) was a Polish Jewish American author noted for his short stories. He was one of the leading figures in the Yiddish literary movement, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978...
, which was featured on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
.
The last Dubrow's, located in the Garment District in Manhattan, closed in 1985.
Dubrow's Cafeteria in popular culture
- A photograph by Garry WinograndGarry WinograndGarry Winogrand was a street photographer known for his portrayal of America in the mid-20th century. John Szarkowski called him the central photographer of his generation....
entitled "Kennedy-Nixon Presidential Campaign, New York, 1960" features Dubrow's prominently. - The novel Subway Music by Reynold Joseph Paul Junker features a nostalgic passage about Dubrow's being gone
- The poem "Waitress" by Jason Shinder claims to be set in Dubrow's, though there were no waitresses in Dubrow's.
- The poem "You Could Live If They Let You" by Wallace Markfield features the lines "As I might speak of e. e. cummings enormous room or Swann's Madeline you speak of Dubrow's Cafeteria and Mallomars."
- Ivan Koota did several paintings of Dubrow's in his collection of works depicting his native Brooklyn.
- Dennis Ziemienski has a painting of Dubrow's Cafeteria.
- In the 1979 Film "Boardwalk", Lee StrasbergLee StrasbergLee Strasberg was an American actor, director and acting teacher. He cofounded, with directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed as "America's first true theatrical collective"...
's character works in the Dubrow's Cafeteria pictured above here in this article.