#15: Sholl’s Colonial Cafeteria
Evan A. Sholl opened the first of several Sholl’s Colonial Cafeterias in 1928. It employed everyone, included immigrants from Europe, Africa, and Asia, and it was very popular among tourists and government workers. At Sholl’s, homeless people were also fed for free. The company got a $5,000 grant to feed the homeless, and, even when that money ran out, they still helped.
Sholl’s had eight locations at its height, and it was so popular that students would sometimes take field trips to the D.C. location. Sholl’s closed its doors in December of 2001 due to a drop in tourism and rent increases.