Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1898 — LUNCHES DELIVERED IN OFFICES [ARTICLE]

LUNCHES DELIVERED IN OFFICES

New Industry That Ha* Recently Been Developed in Chicago. A good midday lunch delivered at your office for ten cents is something that one will hardly find outside of Chicago. In fact, says the Times-Her-ald, it is a comparatively new enterprise even here. Like many another enterprise, it was born from a necessity, aided in a measure by ingenious energy. Less than a year ago a lunchhouse proprietor on Adams street began to deliver a few midday lunches to friends in different office buildings. He saw the possibilities in this new field of enterprise and hired two men to visit office buildings and secure custom for the delivery of his lunches. It met with favor and encouragement and grew and spread. To-day not less than 5,000 lunches are delivered by a half-dozen competitors, and the business is increasing every day to large proportions. Not only are lunches delivered at the office buildings, but at the various department stores for the clerks and other employes. Time as well as money is saved thereby. The menu is: Two nice ham sandwiches, a piece of pie according to the taste of the patron, pickles, small bit of cheese, paper napkin and toothpicks. This eosts but ten cents delivered. Each lunch is put up in a small paper box large enough for the purpose. In fact, there is now a factory that has begun to make these boxes for that especial purpose. It is a profitable business and has already begun to be felt by the other lunch places in the downtown district.