The Tower Cafe was a San Luis Obispo restaurant located at the intersection of Marsh and Higuera, in operation from 1935-1968. The address was listed as 427 Higuera.
The original owners of the "Tower Drive-In Cafe" were F. N. Tower, G. W. Grey, and H. F. Jenkins.1
In advertisements, it was described as the first car-side delivery restaurant in the city.2
During World War II, Black soldiers were welcome at the Tower Cafe, where they could play pool. It was one of only a handful of business open to Black soldiers, including the Sister's Inn, the Pacific Hotel, and the segregated Black U.S.O.3
By the 1960s the business was known as the "Tower Cafe & Cocktail Lounge." A fire in 1962 damaged the 1930s-era neon-decorated tower of the building, which was removed.4
In 1968 the restaurant closed, and in 1969 the building was demolished to be replaced by a gas station.5, 6
Image retrieved from Ebay Postcard
See Also:
- Images at the San Luis Obispo History Center
- Postcard image of the restaurant before the tower was removed
Citations
1. "Drive-In Cafe Opens Soon." San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram (San Luis Obispo, California), September 9, 1935: 13. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.ezproxy.lib.calpoly.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A1463449C4B547668%40EANX-NB-14E8D2DB636D407E%402428055-14E8CDA7544BCBAA%4012-14E8CDA7544BCBAA%40.
2. San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram (San Luis Obispo, California), September 13, 1935: 13. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.ezproxy.lib.calpoly.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A1463449C4B547668%40EANX-NB-14E8D2E2C798E712%402428059-14E8CE59816497A7%4012.
3. San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune (San Luis Obispo, California), January 19, 1991: 73. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.ezproxy.lib.calpoly.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A1463448D97D52251%40EANX-NB-16AEF394B5064DB1%402448276-16AEF1716E7C9255%4072-16AEF1716E7C9255%40.
4. “Tower Tumbled Down” San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune (San Luis Obispo, California), February 16, 1962: 7. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.ezproxy.lib.calpoly.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A1463448D97D52251%40EANX-NB-16A5314806F6B8B9%402437712-16A4C280129B1873%406-16A4C280129B1873%40.
5. San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune (San Luis Obispo, California), August 30, 1968: 7. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.ezproxy.lib.calpoly.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&docref=image/v2%3A1463448D97D52251%40EANX-NB-16A506322B5810DC%402440099-16A4D6808BC3040F%406-16A4D6808BC3040F%40.
6. San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune (San Luis Obispo, California), February 13, 1969.
