On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 01:26:13 GMT, Scott >
wrote:

>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."

Fascinating, Scott, thank you. I have the "Uncommon Grounds" and
never thought of researching the CFON reasoning.

Mahalo to all,
Thunder



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