It is hard to imagine any nicer place to eat than in a dome-diner. As shown below, the dome portions of the COP and COLA diners were nearly identical.
The back of this postcard says it is from the City of Los Angeles, while the postcard below says it is from the City of Portland, but the only differences are that one is painted a rose color and the other a pastel green. Click either image to download a PDF of the postcards.
To make room for two waiters, the dome-diners had seating for just 18 people, with tables for four on one side and tables for two on the other. The front of the dome was used for a waiter’s station, with coffee pots and the dumbwaiter for transporting food up from the kitchen.
Stephen Brown took this photo of the waiter’s station in 1969. Click image for a larger view.
By 1956, the Union Pacific was using actual photos, instead of just illustrations, in its advertising. The following ad is from an issue of the Saturday Evening Post.
Click image for a larger view.
One enthusiast of dome-diners–at least, according to Union Pacific advertising–was actor and future president Ronald Reagan.
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