Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2005 - (Page 50)

In 1890 both the American Coffee Company and New Orleans Coffee Company were born, and the latter was acquired by American Coffee in 1934. Another important coffee company of the day was Merchants which was absorbed by American in 1950. The American Coffee Company sold St. Charles and Monteleone — used by two of the city’s premier hotels — and for two of the city’s universities Tulane and Loyola, while the New Orleans Coffee Company sold Epicure, and the still well known French Market brand. American also sold Honeymoon and French Opera. Merchants sold Selected, Alameda and the still available Union label. In December 1902, a Monroe grocer named William B. Reily founded Rose Nicaud, shown what is today’s Reily Foods at right in 1876 from Co. Long noted for its Leon Fremaux’s New Luzianne and CDM coffee and Orleans Characters, is chicory brands it has also reputedly the first become a leading producer of person to establish a other food products — like coffee stand in the popular Blue Plate mayonFrench Market. Her naise. Since 1967 Reily Foods business prospered has owned the Standard and grew, while many Office Coffee Service. This began as a hotel division, but other coffee stands is now familiar to many office followed her lead. workers during daily coffee breaks. It is said that the coffee break began in New Orleans. In Fabulous New Orleans (1928) Lyle Saxon wrote that, “it is no unusual thing for a business man to say casually: ‘Well, let’s go and get a cup of coffee,’ as a visitor in his office is making ready to depart. It is a little thing perhaps, this drinking of coffee at odd times ” Drinking of coffee at “odd times” — although common in New Orleans — may not have been usual for businessmen from elsewhere, since Saxon adds that, “I have heard Northern business men complain bitterly about these little interruptions for coffee ” In 1930 the Mississippi Steamship Line — later the Delta Steamship Line — is credited with originating the coffee break here by adopting a Brazilian tradition of taking coffee in the morning and afternoon. Management reasoned that, “This chance for a break in the office routine for relaxation and a few minutes social gossip in the office, will be productive of greater efficiency in the work of all of us, and we hope that other New Orleans firms will adopt the custom.” Since Delta was a major coffee shipping line, the “coffee break” could only be good for business. (continued on page 54) This 1890 advertising card at left from the French Market Tea Depot shows how such businesses at the time dealt in both coffee and tea, as well as spices. 50 LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES\Fall 2005

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2005

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2005 Contents Editor’s Column Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Louisiana State Museum After Katrina and Rita Tabasco: Edmund McIlhenny and the Birth of a Louisiana Pepper Sauce Historic New Orleans Collection Louisiana Association of Museums New Orleans’ Coffee Connection No Man’s Land Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism Bookstand (Book Review by Thomas Uskali) Sound Advice (Music Review by Ben Sandmel) Forum (Commentary by Roy Blount, Jr. )

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2005

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