In article >,
Mike Beede > wrote:

> I did find a reference to a CFON restaurant in New York, but nothing
> about how long it's been there. Of course, that would only push the
> mystery back to "why did they name the restaurant that." The Sara
> Lee site talks about the jingle (which apparently everyone older than
> me is quite familiar with ... ahem), but apparently assumes the name
> is unremarkable.

According to Mark Pendergast's "Uncommon Grounds," it was named by
William Black, who in 1926 started out with a nut stand in a basement at
Broadway and Forty-third street in NYC, calling it Chock full o' Nuts.
Within six years, this became a chain of eighteen stores all over
Manhattan. He turned this chain into quick-order luncheonettes "offering
a nutted cheese sandwich on whole wheat raisin bread, along with coffee,
each for a nickel. Later he added soup and pie to the menu.
By the 1950s Black owned twenty-five restaurants in New York City. When
coffee prices went up and quality began to decline, Black, a stickler
for the freshest ingredients, was disturbed. At first, like other
restaurant owners, he held to a 5-cent cup of coffee by watering the
brews. He soon broke ranks, however, raising his price and announcing
that he refused to compromise on quality.
Then in October 1953 he astonished the coffee trade by coming out with
his own brand, Chock full o' Nuts.... Everyone thought it would flop,
particularly with such a stupid name. Maybe Chock full o' Beans-but
nuts?"

The text notes that the original jingle was sung by Black's second wife,
Jean Martin:
"Chock full o' Nuts is that heavenly coffee
Heavenly coffee, heavenly coffee
Chock full o' Nuts is that heavenly coffee-
Better coffee Rockefeller's money can't buy"

Nelson Rockefeller, who owned several Latin American coffee concerns,
didn't want his name to be used to promote the competition, so he sued.
Black changed the jingle to "Better coffee a millionaire's money can't
buy."

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