The first restaurant in the United States was founded in:
A. Boston, in the early 1600s
B. New York, in the mid-1700s
C. Philadelphia, around the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence
D. Washington DC, around the time of George Washington’s confirmation as President
A.
The first American restaurant—specifically a tavern—was founded in Boston in 1634 by a settler named Samuel Cole. Early establishments like taverns were relatively inexpensive and generally attracted the poorer and middle classes, for whom preparing food at home was expensive (the cost of wood or coal required to keep a stove going was prohibitive for many). In fact, early on in the U.S., only the wealthy had the staff and economic resources to eat regularly at home. Among the most famous American taverns was Fraunces Tavern, founded in 1762 in New York City, and still operating today.