Lunch counter

Lunch counter

A lunch counter is a small restaurant, much like a diner, where the patron sits on a stool on one side of the bar and the server serves from the other side of the bar, where the kitchen is. As the name suggests, they were most widely used for the lunch meal. Lunch counters were often found in five and dime stores, like Woolworths, S. H. Kress, H.L. Green, McLellan's or McCrory's.

Integrating lunch counters in the US South was a major accomplishment of the United States civil rights movement of the 1960s, using sit-ins. These involved minorities and their supporters sitting at the lunch counter in areas designated for whites-only, demanding service.

Lunch Counter is also the name of a famous whitewater section of the Snake River south of Jackson, Wyoming in the United States. Dave Hansen, founder of Dave Hansen Whitewater in Jackson, Wyoming is generally credited with naming this section of the river. [http://www.davehansenwhitewater.com/about_us.shtml]

There are still some lunch counters and diners in the US; specifically in the San Francisco area you can even find an old street car diner.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • lunch counter — lunch counters N COUNT A lunch counter is an informal café or a counter in a shop where people can buy and eat meals. [AM] …   English dictionary

  • lunch counter — lunch .counter n old fashioned a place that serves simple meals for lunch, or a small restaurant that is only open at lunchtime …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • lunch counter — 1. a counter, as in a store or restaurant, where light meals and snacks are served or are sold to be taken out. 2. a luncheonette. [1865 70] * * * lunch counter, a long table or counter, as in a restaurant, at which persons sit on stools or stand …   Useful english dictionary

  • lunch counter — Synonyms and related words: automat, beanery, bistro, buffet, buvette, cafe, cafeteria, canteen, cantina, chophouse, chuck wagon, coffee shop, coffeehouse, coffeeroom, cookhouse, cookshack, cookshop, diner, dining hall, dining room, dog wagon,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • lunch counter — lunch′ count er n. 1) cvb a counter, as in a store or restaurant, where light meals and snacks are served 2) cvb a luncheonette • Etymology: 1865–70 …   From formal English to slang

  • lunch counter — noun Date: 1869 1. a long counter at which lunches are sold 2. luncheonette …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • lunch counter — 1. a counter, as in a store or restaurant, where light meals and snacks are served or are sold to be taken out. 2. a luncheonette. [1865 70] * * * …   Universalium

  • counter — I. noun Etymology: Middle English countour, from Anglo French, from Medieval Latin computatorium computing place, from Latin computare Date: 14th century 1. a piece (as of metal or plastic) used in reckoning or in games 2. something of value in… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • counter — A device that counts, usually scintillations. automated differential leukocyte c. an instrument using digital imaging or cytochemical techniques to differentiate leukocytes. electronic cell c. an automatic blood cell c. in which cells passing… …   Medical dictionary

  • lunch — n 1. luncheon, Brit. tiffin, Fr. dejeuner; brunch, Brit. elevenses. 2. light meal, light repast, collation, Inf. snack, Inf. bite, Inf. nosh; refreshments. 3. luncheonette, lunchroom, lunch counter, lunch bar, bar, bar and grill, grill, grill… …   A Note on the Style of the synonym finder

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