looking for a translation

[ratcreature]

I'm looking for the English word for "Kaffeeklappe", i.e. an establishment where workers can buy cheap meals (and as the name implies coffee) but which is not serving alcohol like pubs are. Traditionally they were located in or near the industrial areas, like in the harbor. These first opened in the 19th century as part of the anti-alcoholism movement. The official German term was "Volkskaffeehalle" (public coffee hall?) but the informal term is much more common. It comes from the food being served from the kitchen into the dining area through a serving hatch. They are not very common anymore, having been replaced by various fast food options, I guess. Is there an English equivalent? I thought maybe "greasy spoon" might fit, except that the dictionary tells me that term dates only to the 1920s, and I'm looking for the 19th century thing.

Comments

London/UK tuppence worth

[buddleia]

I'm guessing bakeries, cafes, Lyon's Tea Shops. In Dickens there are 'Eating Houses', which I think is closest to what you want. I can't find the reference now but I think there is a history, in the East End of London, of stalls of food where you ate fast and gave back the bowl for the next person.

Separately, and much later, a lot of companies instituted canteens with free or cheap lunches for staff. In the 19C, though, I don't think so.

'Greasy spoon' is a slang term for a type of cafe that is not part of a chain and often has a counter and some nod toward Deli-type sandwhich service these days. There are still a fair few cheap caffs around(run by Italian-cockneys, often) serving mainly cab drivers, builders, road workers. I don't recollect ever seeing references to large hall-type and presumably social eating houses in the UK. Miserable lot, we are! I don't think there is a an equivalent, TBH.