Earl's

Location:

Route 2

Use:

Lunches and dinners are prepared here for delivery or eating in the restaurant.

What rooms or parts of the space can I move freely in?

The front room has tables for eating.  About 20 people can probably eat there at once, but usually there are only a handful.  Most of their business is takeout.

Are certain kinds of behavior expected of me in different spaces within this larger space?

I can't go behind the counter.  I can smoke in half of it.

Does my behavior change as I enter or leave this particular place?

I'm maybe a little guarded.

Does my gender, race, language, etc change how I use or am permitted to use, or how I am expected to use this space?

The whole place has a Nickled and Dimed kinda feel.  I'm not limited in my use.  I just feel a little class separation, like maybe they're more white trash.

Give examples of how you think history impacts how I am expected/permitted/decided to use this space?

Actually, I could probably go way into this because I used to read Rick Stattler's books about the history of the restaurant industry when we were roommates.  I guess the most pertinent detail is that there is a window back to the kitchen that only shows the head and shoulders of the "cook," where food and orders are passed back and forth.  I'm not sure if they would use a more open diner setup if they had a differently shaped space.  But there is a whole dynamic about restaurants and hygene & exposing the kitchen to reassure the customer that the food is ok.

Where do I get my "cues" about how to use the space?

They'll tell you what to do.  Plus it is a standard kinda thing.

How does history impact this space?

It is really a little shack on the highway, so it is hard to guess what it was originally.  Maybe always some sort of ice cream/hot dog setup.  This stretch of road was once a new commercial drag, I'd guess in the 50's, but now development has moved farther and farther out of town.  So it is in the backwater.

What could I teach someone using this place?

Food preparation.  Handling money.