{"product_id":"esquire-restaurant-for-men-penn-harris-hotel-harrisburg-pa-1930s","title":"Esquire Restaurant For Men, Penn-Harris Hotel, Harrisburg, PA 1930s","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003eIt seems a laughably outdated idea now, but restaurateurs and bar owners experimented with men only establishments in the 1930s as a way of picking up business after Prohibition ended.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"under_image\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Esquire Grill in the Penn-Harris Hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was one of the best known of these all-male establishments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the early part of the 20th century, women did not patronize restaurants on a daily basis and so the food on offer in restaurants and bars was meat and potatoes stuff, with the emphasis on the meat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Prohibition was introduced, men began eating lighter meals like sandwiches and salads since it was less tempting to have a long lunch if the only drinks on offer were glasses of milk or cups of coffee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBar and restaurant owners longed for the days when men ate hearty meals washed down with copious amounts of beer, wine and spirits and introduced the all-male concept as soon as the booze ban was lifted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese restaurants had a clubby atmosphere and men could smoke and drink as much as they wanted. Some allowed ladies in as special guests but many enforced a complete ban. Some even used the ban on female guests as a marketing ploy, thus The Esquire wrote on its menus:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Esquire is Reserved for the Exclusive Use of Men. Please Do Not Ask Us to Permit the Patronage of the Ladies.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Esquire's menu was geared towards hearty he-man tastes such as Spaghetti Bolognaise (sic) with Meatcake Whatever that is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany men preferred business dining without female company and The Esquire was popular for a while but it became a mixed-company establishment with the advent of the Second World War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts unusual name came about because the owners of Esquire Magazine, which had begun publication in October 1933, must have thought that licensing the Esquire name to a men only restaurant would give the brand some cache. However, this was the only Esquire branded restaurant that we know of so the concept failed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Penn Harris Hotel, which was constructed in 1918, closed in 1972 and was demolished in 1973\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCourtesy Private Collection. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGallery quality Giclée print on natural white, matte, 100% cotton rag, acid and lignin free archival paper using Epson archival inks. Custom printed with border for matting and framing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAll printed in USA.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEach product is accompanied by a copy of the interior menu where available.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Love Menu Art","offers":[{"title":"8.5x11\" Archival Print (Unframed) $25.00","offer_id":57491563643046,"sku":"lul1790050730298","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"11x14 Archival Print (Unframed) $30.00","offer_id":57491563675814,"sku":"mzz1790050730299","price":18.3,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"13x19 Archival Print (Unframed) $40.00","offer_id":57491563708582,"sku":"ycg1790050730300","price":26.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x20 Archival Print (Unframed) $55.00","offer_id":57491563741350,"sku":"lqd1790050730301","price":37.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x24 Archival Print (Unframed) $85.00","offer_id":57491563774118,"sku":"hec1790050730302","price":56.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x36 Archival Print (Unframed) $135.00","offer_id":57491563806886,"sku":"nhc1790050730303","price":83.7,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/9133\/8662\/files\/esquire-restaurant-for-men-penn-harris-hotel-harrisburg-pa-1930s_1.webp?v=1790050733","url":"https:\/\/coffeetamper.shop\/products\/esquire-restaurant-for-men-penn-harris-hotel-harrisburg-pa-1930s","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}