UPDATE! Since my visit in 2016, Culp’s Cafe has expanded as a full-service restaurant where waiters and waitresses in period costumes will take your order. Check out the counter where you will find the large soda fountain on display.
During a visit to Carillon Park, I had the opportunity to dine in at the historical Culp’s Cafe. Surrounded by early 20th century architecture and design, this delightful eatery was built to resemble local Culp’s Cafeteria of the 1930’s, when Dayton was on the rise with ingenuity and invention.
Cafeterias have since been replaced by restaurants and buffets, but were once popular food service locations. Think hospitals and high schools where food would be displayed at a counter, you could make your selection and pay the cashier for your purchase. At one time, this was how one would order food and then find a dining room table or counter to enjoy their food.
Inside are photos of acclaimed diner, Culp’s Cafeteria, a historical eatery founded by Charlotte Gilbert Culp, whose success story is quite fascinating. According to the Carillon Historical Park website, Charlotte was a widow who prepared baked goods and sold them door to door to support her six children which led to her opening a stand at Dayton’s South Main Street Market. Expanding the business, Charlotte’s son Howard, opened three lunch counters at Dayton’s Arcade, a three-story indoor market with over 200 stalls. In 1931, the Culp’s Cafeteria opened at the Arcade with its fountain and full-service restaurant, later expanding throughout the Dayton area.
According to the feed on Dayton History Books Online, Culp’s was a popular spot with the local police and locals.
The black and white floor tiles and red cushioned bar stools are reminiscent of the early 1900’s diners. There is a small deli refrigerator where you can select a couple of items to enjoy for lunch. I decided on the chicken salad with a milkshake, a typical meal one would order at a diner and set off to continue my exploration of Carillon Historical Park.
Have you visited Culp’s Cafe? Do you have some insight on its history? I would love to learn more about the history of Culp’s Cafeteria in the late 1900s if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for reading about my lunch stop at Culp’s Cafe and wishing you many Happy Travels!
What to See and What to Do:
Culp’s Cafe at Carillon Historical Park
1000 Carillon Blvd.
Dayton, OH 45409
Telephone: 937 299 2277
