Fizgig

✎ Among the few remaining remnants of the Childs Restaurant Corporation. The Childs restaurant chain was the creation of Samuel and William Childs. They revolutionized the American restaurant chain by creating a uniform look to each of their branches in order to make their restaurants recognizable. Childs Restaurants peaked in the 1920s and 1930s, and William Childs lost control of the company after a revolt from investors after he imposed his own vegetarian preferences on the menu. Childs became the Hotel Corporation of America in 1955 and was acquired in 1961 by the Riese Organization, which today operates restaurant chains like T.G.I. Friday’s and Applebee’s. There are a number of former Childs Restaurants remaining in NYC, or at least the buildings where they were located -- and a push for the landmarks preservation committee to save them before the unique and beautiful ornamentation is gone forever. Only two have landmark status -- both in Coney Island -- and have been restored from crumbling messes back to their eye-catching glory.

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