Lynn C. Hattendorf Westney, Associate Professor and Assistant Reference Librarian at the University of Illinois, Chicago, presented a wholly fun paper at the 35th Annual Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities in Quebec back in May of 2001. Title of the paper: Dew Drop Inn and Lettuce Entertain You: Onomastic Sobriquets in the Food and Beverage Industry. And its subject matter: examples of "international onomastic appellations [that] demonstrate that the names of contemporary dining and drinking establishments serve as semantic and/or humorous reflections of societal mores."
Westney seems never to have heard the editor's aphorism I learned many years ago to "Kill which's wherever you find them." If you can overlook her ubiquitous use of the word, however, I think you'll find the paper--that consists, primarily, of "names in the food and beverage industry which reflect contemporary culture and which are characterized by their amusing and titillating patronyms and puns"--quite a bit of fun to peruse.
From coffee shops
 Aroma Borealis in Alberta, Edmonton (and elsewhere), |
 Brew Ha Ha of Phoenix, Arizona, |
 Espresso Yourself in Juneau, Alaska (and elsewhere; photo from Anchorage), |
| and Pony Espresso of Dubois, Wyoming |
| to hot dog stands like |
| Franks for the Memories of Mundelein, Illinois, |
 Mustards Last Stand of Evanston, Illinois, |
| Puppy Love of Plymouth, New Hampshire, and |
 Relish the Thought of Chicago, |
| to Asian restaurants |
| Beau Thai in Portland, Oregon, or |
| Seoul Food (Korean barbecue) in Denver, Colorado |
| to establishments that indicate what they serve: |
| Adams Rib of Riverdale, Illinois, |
 the Crepevine in San Francisco, |
| Grateful Bread of Seattle, and |
| Jonathan Livingston Seafood of Chicago |
| to places whose names leave you wondering: |
| Eaton Gogh in Norfolk, Virginia, |
| The Hearty Boys of Chicago, and |
 The Perfect Wife, Manchester, Vermont |
| these and a hundred more all here for your bemusement! |
Oh! But while looking for photos to grace this page
I didn't record them all. But here's one I enjoyed: Creative Shop Names.
