Pancake Houses and Breakfast Joints

Restaurants specializing in breakfast foods (or “breakfast joints”) are a common type of eating establishment popularized in the United States in the 1950s. Although many types of restaurants serve breakfast, including cafeterias, hotel dining rooms, and fast food chains, breakfast joints strive to offer a relaxing, family-friendly atmosphere alongside a menu of traditional breakfast foods available all day long. They are usually sit-down restaurants that offer both counter service and table service. Many breakfast joints are open 24 hours a day to accommodate night-shift workers. The purpose of many breakfast joints is to attract customers when other sit-down restaurants are not always open, especially in the early to mid-morning. Different types of breakfast joints include pancake houses, waffle houses, coffee shops, and donut shops. This ...