Does anyone know anything about the "Coffee Cup Restaurant"?

[lippydippy69]

Hi

I am new to the site and its nice to come across a forum that talks about old Detroit. I am primarily making this thread because I need a bit of information.

According to my mom, my great-grandma worked in a diner in the first national building during the 70's. That diner is now Shake Shack.

I am trying to find any info that I can about that diner.

I mainly want to try some pictures of it, so that maybe I can finally come across a photo of my great-grandma. Pictures at this point are a long shot but I will take what I can get.

I contacted the Detroit Historical Society and they have been tremendously helpful but they are just as stumped as I am.

Although they did give me a name for what they think the name of the diner was.

The name that I got was "Coffee Cup Restaurant".

Does anyone out there have any recollection of something called "Coffee Cup Restaurant"?

[jcole]

I find a Coffee Cup Restaurant in the Hotel Metropole in 1964; one at Selden and Third [[3905 3rd St) in 1932 and one that sold in 1965 in Dundee Mi.

[EastsideAl]

Here is a small picture of the Coffee Cup restaurant in the Hotel Metropole at 630 Woodward. This is from the historic buildings survey in 1976. To the immediate left [[north) of the Metropole, just past Nicholson's Chop House, is the First National Building. In those days, as I remember it, the First National Building had a Shapero's drug store with a lunch counter in the storefront facing Woodward.



I'm sorry that there is no larger photo online. The original pictures are stored somewhere in Detroit. The owner of the site, Isaac Kremer, is a nice guy who may be able to help you with more information.

[lippydippy69]

Thank you guys for all of your help. I am literally sending you tons of hugs for the info that you have shared.

I looked up 630 Woodward and I can't believe that used to be a hotel. I am a child of the late 90's, so I can remember when that area was filled with liquor stores.

Gentrification at its finest, eh.

My mom always told me that my great-grandma worked in a diner in the first national building in the 70's and now you guys are saying that it was a lunch counter, which is kind of the same thing.

I wonder what I would find if I looked up photos of Shapero's drug store.

Can you please give me the web address to Issac Kremer? Perhaps he could further help me with my mystery.

Thank you both for all of your help.

[EastsideAl]

Here is some more information about Isaac Kremer's site from a post he made here a few months ago. He compiled a website of these photos several years ago when he was living and working in Michigan, although he has since moved on to elsewhere.

"I have all of the original hi-res survey cards in TIF format. I also have other materials that might be of considerable interest for preservationists, historians, or others with a similar interest. I may be reached via my website at http://www.isaackremer.com or email at civitasdev[[at)gmail[[dot)com."

Here is a link to the search form for the 1976 photos.

[EastsideAl]

Here is another photo of the Metropole building, this one from the '60s, that shows an even clearer view. No view of Shapero's in the First National Bldg. I can find though.