King of Prussia, Pennsylvania - circa 1960s
The Harvest House restaurant & coffee shop at King of Prussia Plaza (now King of Prussia Mall). I believe at the time, this was one of the very first Harvest House establishments, which soon became such a familiar fixture at many malls and shopping centers throughout the '60s and '70s (Cherry Hill Mall had one). This is a neat vintage postcard view of Harvest House's groovy-but-gaudy (a good thing in my book) interior and exterior at King of Prussia Plaza.
Mall history: 1963 - present
Developer: Kravco Co. (now Kravco Simon)
Current website: here
Current aerial view
Info from Wikipedia
Previous entries: 1, 2, 3, 4
The food likely wasn't all that much, but it sure looks groovy.
ReplyDeleteKing of Prussia Plaz -Interesting mall decorations. Quite defferent from the current malls. The same style is still available in some Asian Pacific countries.
ReplyDeletegroovy swanky awesome neat! Over the top! and I like it!
ReplyDeleteeyecatching!
Love the diner and green chairs!
ReplyDeleteAll is not lost Stew Leonards today has a similar themed style.
ReplyDeletehttp://bp1.blogger.com/_6JOCpADOJWg/RnAyScQCwMI/AAAAAAAAAqk/ceYvrF9XQMw/s1600-h/DSC07877.JPG
Very almost identical theme,not quite exact but similar.
Look closely people. I don't see any lava lamps or Day-Glo anything, so I don't think groovy is quite the word. This decor is simply "Tacky Traditional". I'm not trying to be judgemental about this, just pointing out that this was the standard level of taste for this place and era.
ReplyDeleteCompare this to the current restaurants of the King of Prussia Plaza, 40 years later- California This and Trattoria That and Starbucks on every corner. The suburbs have become much more sophisticated places. Back then you could run a reasonably successful establishment that looked just like...well...your living room.
Good points, Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteAnd it still looks groovy to me.
I don't use that term in quite so literal and narrow a sense around here (just to denote lava lamps, Day-Glo, etc.). To me it's a mood. A feel to shot. And this one (technicalities aside) just says "groovy" to me. :)
Guess it's a subjective term when you get right down to it.
What a great picture! I've been visiting the King of Prussia Mall since at least the 70s (when I was a kid). It sure has changed!
ReplyDeleteThanks,
JEH
www.CoolStuffForDads.com
I miss the old layout of the Plaza. I'm thinking in particular of the fountains on the north end with the walkway, actually all of the fountains. There was also cozy wood or brown tiling like Oxford Valley if my memory doesn't decieve me. The entry from the old outdoor section featured the parrot Charlie Brown. Lastly, there was the Purple Cow fast food place. Liked their hotdogs, at least before I discovered beef dogs. Oxford Valley used to have stands unique to it, such as Swanky Franks and Chew Chew(mall owned or independent entrepeneurs?)Businesses come and go and they could have used the expansion but does everything have to change? Oh well. If anyone can post more photos here, please do so.
ReplyDeleteto quote Anon 1 I like this "Tacky Traditional" look. It actually takes me back to a simpler time. Everyone is trying to style food and other retail establishments nowadays as frou frou neo-European stuck-up live beyond your means upscale. this website is a great tribute and a testament to the golden age shopping and eating places and said acompaning decor that came from a time when people still had ACTUAL original ideas and were not afraid to be creative, regardless of how unique-as opposed to the current trend toward one style global homogenization. It's nice to relive memories when merchants stores actually reflected their patrons rather than the " we're gonna sell you a lifestyle because you're just not good enough" message
ReplyDelete