Do you remember the Miller and Rhoads Tearoom?
The Roanoke Times l File 1978
In yesterday’s Front Burner column, I shared some history of The Tearoom in downtown Roanoke and asked readers if they have any memories they can share. Please feel free to leave your thoughts as comments on this blog entry or to email them to me at lindsey.nair@roanoke.com. You may also snail-mail them to P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010.
If you leave a comment on this blog entry, please indicate whether it is OK for me to use your full name if I quote you in my article. Thank you. Random little note: I know the name of the store has an ampersand instead of the word “and” spelled out, but my blog software, Word Press, wigs out if I try to use ampersands in the title of blog entries.
Here is yesterday’s column:
Seeking Memories of Miller & Rhoads Tearoom
By Lindsey Nair
My friend Jean Robbins has treasured memories of a special activity she used to share with her daughters in the late 1960s, when they were girls.
On certain Saturdays, Jean would leave her husband, Mal, to his gardening while she and their children, Cathy and Leslie, traveled to Miller & Rhoads in Roanoke for a morning of shopping. This was always followed by lunch in the Miller & Rhoads Tearoom, where diners could eat while beautiful models showed off the latest store fashions.
“That was always a neat atmosphere,” said Leslie Spigle, who now lives in Buchanan and has kids of her own. “I think about how we don’t have anything like that today — everybody is in and out of shopping and on their way. It was a really nice, relaxing lunch.”
The five-story department store, which was built in 1957 on an old Heironimus site on Campbell Avenue, was a destination for shoppers from miles around Roanoke. The Roanoke Tearoom was smaller than the one in Miller & Rhoads’ flagship Richmond store, but it still saw plenty of traffic.
To continue reading this column, click here.
Click these links to see these Miller & Rhoads Tearoom recipes:
July 5, 2012 - 9:52 AM
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I find this photo quite disturbing…the date says “1978,” however the clientele is completely white (Caucasian). Didn’t the Tea Room hear about the Civil Rights Act? Why no people of color? I suppose they were the wait and kitchen staff…
Every spring break when I was a child it was a special treat for my mother and I to take the city bus to downtown Roanoke, go to Miller and Rhoads Tearoom for lunch and the fashion show. I got to check out the latest fashions, Mom would enjoy her Missouri Club and then we would shop for my Easter dress. Great memories!
Jane, that is an interesting point. I have heard a tip that I have not yet been able to research that the Tearoom was segregated until sometime during the 1960s, when a group of NAACP men walked in and sat down for lunch. I believe at least one of those men is still alive and I plan to track him down and talk to him for my next article. Our digital archives only go back to 1990.
The Tearoom would have been open to people of all colors by 1978. Perhaps people of color just chose not to go, or it just happens that there are only Caucasians in this particular photo.
I can remember going to the M.& R. Tearoom with my mom as a young lady. I always knew that we would have a good time and it was time just for us girls. Saturday would come and we would put on our Sunday best.I always felt so grown up when we got to do this because of getting to see a fashion show while we ate at the beautiful Tearoom. We would shop at the store and then eat at the Tearoom and watch a fashion show. The potpies were to die for. Then we would go to Heironimus, Lazarus, and Sidney’s all great stores that I really miss.
Beverly, that is a wonderful memory. Thank you for sharing it with us.
My husband says that it appears to be me in the picture (third table back with the person in the floral blouse across from me (her back) appears to be a friend/co-worker. We dined at the tea room on many N&W paydays from 1973 until it closed. It was truly such a “special” place. Is there any way to get a glimpse at the original picture to determine if that is me? I was disappointed that the luncheon sold out so quickly. Thanks, Lindsay!
Janice, if you want to email me at lindsey.nair@roanoke.com we can arrange something.
I do not remember Miller & Rhoads Tea Rooms (didn’t come to America until 2000). Recently I found a silver plated muffin server stamped with the name Miller & Rhoads; does anyone know if it might have been used in the Tearooms? Or maybe it was specially made for sale in the store? Thank you.
That’s interesting, Georgina. I would guess it was used for service in the Tearoom but I don’t really know. Maybe someone else will know.
Jane, history is what it is. There’s no changing it, just learn from it. Also, I noticed that someone is smoking. Take comfort in the fact that all peoples can dine together without second hand smoke. Rejoice in what we have accomplished.
I went to the tea room many many times with my grandmother. She would actually go there for take-out. Usually she’d get slicked turkey , the real stuff, and potato salad. I’d love to have more of their recipes. Ones that come to mind are London Broil, their French salad dressing was unlike no other, the Chocolate Silk Pie: all personal favorites of ours. If anyone has any other recipes, it would be wonderful to share.
My little bit of history: when I was 11 and in 6th grade, I took the bus, by myself from the now Grandin Village, to do my Christmas shopping with money I had saved. I felt like hot stuff, sooooooo grown up. You can’t send a child out like that these days. Also, there was a lot of segregation while I was growing up, but thankfully that has changed so much!
Thanks for the article!
I am a Roanoke native and loved M&R tearoom. Others have mentioned wanting the recipes, and I would love to have them too. Has anyone found them?
A close friend of mine ,Carolyn Marshall Griffis, Has the original Miller and Rhoads Tea Room sign that hung above door to the tea room in Richmond,Va
up for sale to the highest bidder. Can you advice me on how to go about getting the word out.Thank you in advance for any help in this matter.
Linda
I’ll pass that along to some folks I know who are interested in Miller & Rhoads history, Linda. Do you want me to give them your email address if they are interested in the sign?