Midge's Café
Title
Midge's Café
Subject
Midge's Café stood on the corner of Clay and Church streets at 101 Church St. The photo was taken before current "modernization" changes were made that covered parts of the beautiful windows.
There are decals advertising Camel, Lucky Strike, and Old Gold cigarettes as well as Hires Rootbeer.
1950s-style automobiles are parked on Clay St. The library's collection of City Directories skips from 1950 to 1958 and there were no advertisements in the Woodstock Sentinel of that time to help identify the date of the photo.
A plea to the public in Woodstock Independent's October 13-19, 2021 "Photo Detective" column brought a great response: "Midge" was really Clara Wilson (retired City of Woodstock Engineer Al Wilson's grandmother). Al shared a newspaper column in which "Scribe Crosby Sings Praises of 5-cent Coffee.":
"The high price of coffee has truly been holding the spotlight during the past several weeks. Even President Eisenhower has ordered a special investigation to bring to light the cause, whatever it might be. Imagine if you will, the surprise this columnist experienced a few days ago when he ordered a cup of coffee and at the same time stared in awe at a card on the café wall featuring coffee at 5-cents per cup.
This, if you please, occurred at Woodstock, Ill. In Midge's Café, 101 Church street. Being accustomed to paying 10 to 15 cents per cup, not to mention being told daily by café operators the many reasons for high prices, well my nose immediately went out of joint resulting in a barrage of questions being put to the owner as diplomatically as possible.
For your information as well as a satisfied, personal curiosity, it was learned that the owner uses Sexton Coffee and claims that she definitely is making a profit. She explained that during a period of one hour and fifteen minutes which they checked the afternoon preceding my visit they sold 180 cups of coffee. Approximately 60 per cent included cream with about one third using sugar. Now here comes the payoff--less than 10 percent ordered coffee only. The remaining high percentage of coffee drinkers ordered either rolls, doughnuts, or sandwiches. Some ordered pie, cake, or similar dessert.
The owners name is Midge Wilson, the proud mother of seven grown children, one very energetic and charming daughter who works the front end of the café and six grown sons all of whom served in World War II and the Korean conflict. A proud mother indeed who well merits recognition as an outstanding typical American mother.
I would suggest two good reasons be offered as a basis for her successful operation. First--as a mother of seven she has not only acquired the art of good cooking but has long since learned and practiced the necessity of economy. Second--this is the first venture in the restaurant business and only for a period of three months. Because of this she has not had time to learn the tricks of the cofee game which seems to be based on a happy faculty of raising the price of coffee at the rate of an additional 5 cents per cup to every 3 cents per pound raise advanced by the coffee house.
Orchids to you Midge Wilson!!
Note: No one objects to paying 10 cents for coffee, this has been established. It is a little disturbing to hear Café operators cry, "We must raise the price to 12 cents or 15 cents. This is definitely out of line."
There are decals advertising Camel, Lucky Strike, and Old Gold cigarettes as well as Hires Rootbeer.
1950s-style automobiles are parked on Clay St. The library's collection of City Directories skips from 1950 to 1958 and there were no advertisements in the Woodstock Sentinel of that time to help identify the date of the photo.
A plea to the public in Woodstock Independent's October 13-19, 2021 "Photo Detective" column brought a great response: "Midge" was really Clara Wilson (retired City of Woodstock Engineer Al Wilson's grandmother). Al shared a newspaper column in which "Scribe Crosby Sings Praises of 5-cent Coffee.":
"The high price of coffee has truly been holding the spotlight during the past several weeks. Even President Eisenhower has ordered a special investigation to bring to light the cause, whatever it might be. Imagine if you will, the surprise this columnist experienced a few days ago when he ordered a cup of coffee and at the same time stared in awe at a card on the café wall featuring coffee at 5-cents per cup.
This, if you please, occurred at Woodstock, Ill. In Midge's Café, 101 Church street. Being accustomed to paying 10 to 15 cents per cup, not to mention being told daily by café operators the many reasons for high prices, well my nose immediately went out of joint resulting in a barrage of questions being put to the owner as diplomatically as possible.
For your information as well as a satisfied, personal curiosity, it was learned that the owner uses Sexton Coffee and claims that she definitely is making a profit. She explained that during a period of one hour and fifteen minutes which they checked the afternoon preceding my visit they sold 180 cups of coffee. Approximately 60 per cent included cream with about one third using sugar. Now here comes the payoff--less than 10 percent ordered coffee only. The remaining high percentage of coffee drinkers ordered either rolls, doughnuts, or sandwiches. Some ordered pie, cake, or similar dessert.
The owners name is Midge Wilson, the proud mother of seven grown children, one very energetic and charming daughter who works the front end of the café and six grown sons all of whom served in World War II and the Korean conflict. A proud mother indeed who well merits recognition as an outstanding typical American mother.
I would suggest two good reasons be offered as a basis for her successful operation. First--as a mother of seven she has not only acquired the art of good cooking but has long since learned and practiced the necessity of economy. Second--this is the first venture in the restaurant business and only for a period of three months. Because of this she has not had time to learn the tricks of the cofee game which seems to be based on a happy faculty of raising the price of coffee at the rate of an additional 5 cents per cup to every 3 cents per pound raise advanced by the coffee house.
Orchids to you Midge Wilson!!
Note: No one objects to paying 10 cents for coffee, this has been established. It is a little disturbing to hear Café operators cry, "We must raise the price to 12 cents or 15 cents. This is definitely out of line."
Creator
Source
Mildred Luallen
Collection
Citation
Unknown, “Midge's Café,” Woodstock Public Library Archives, accessed May 15, 2024, https://woodstockpubliclibraryarchives.omeka.net/items/show/605.
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