Bullock’s offers tea in refined elegance

Oct. 4, 1913: Bullock’s department store at Broadway and 7th Street opened a tearoom, which The Times described as “elegant in appointments.”

The eighth-floor dining room had seating for 400 and planned to stay open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. daily.

“One of the special features of the new establishment is an afternoon tea with a musicale from 3 to 5 o’clock,” the newspaper said.

“There are private dining rooms for luncheon and afternoon tea parties. Patrons will have the services of pages to locate friends, deliver messages or arrange for phone calls.”

Mrs. Margaret Purdy, “an expert from Boston,” was responsible for the new establishment, The Times said, noting:

“A color scheme in French gray and rose is restful and attractively harmonious.”