1915 – Bowles Lunch Room, 7-9 King Street East, Toronto, Canada

This multi-city Ontario-based chain included diners in Toronto, Hamilton and London was started by American Henry Leland Bowles. Bowles was open 24/7/365, but in 1957 the Toronto and Ottawa Bowles outlets were sold and renamed “Scott’s Restaurants.” In 1960, Scott’s bought the rights to sell Kentucky Fried Chicken in Canada.

“This building is used entirely for the purposes of the owners, the basement being devoted to the barber shop, lavatories, and a most interesting room for pocket billiards. This latter with the corridor show most suggestive examples of the use of brick in interior work and some very clever tiling in the floors and ceiling of the entrance hall. The entire ground floor is given over to the lunch room, finished in cream white veined statuary marble, with a light Formosa marble base; the tiling above in tones to harmonize, while the pattern on walls and ceiling are brought out with rich ivory. The lighting is of the semi-indirect type, in this instance using genuine alabaster globes which result in a most pleasing warmth of color.

The next two floors are devoted to billiard rooms, with panels of leather and painted fabric, the stripping and cap moulds in walnut. The top floor has been fitted up for the use of the architects, Messrs. Hand, Harris & Merritt, and fittingly completes a building each floor of which has many features and details of interest.”
Construction, February 1915

Share!

More!