The Menu

SHOULD MENUS BE READABLE?

Newspaper artist Peter Von Czarnecki was just one of the many customers intrigued with the odd sign reading, “Tell Us How You Like Your Pancakes!” He was enchanted by the warmth and enthusiasm of the three fresh-faced partners, Allen and Helen Trachsel, and Roger Meadmore despite the fact that they had no menu and hadn’t even thought of writing one. Customers simply told them what they wanted. They admired their customers’ patience and the customers recognised their inept zeal.

It wasn’t before long the trio realised that a menu was indeed needed, and Peter Von Czarnecki and Ken Ellis from The Adelaide Advertiser volunteered to do a printed menu – overnight!

Ellis, a cadet journalist, wrote the words and Von Czarnecki dug into his collection of old woodcut engravings. (He had been squirreling away for years just for an opportunity such as this!)

By the next morning, they had several hundred menus printed with black whimsical type, printed on cheap strawboard that was leftover backing cards used to package shirts.

The menu looked great, with the quaint Victorian illustrations, a ‘galloping horse’ cover and hand-adapted ‘wild west’ typeface.

It was an instant failure.

The customers kept taking the menu out into the lane, because under the restaurant’s orange-coloured interior lights the dark-brown strawboard made the menus virtually impossible to read!

Even the spelling was questionable, with ‘FEAD OF YOUR LIFE’ under one graphic. This was Allen’s personal favourite! It was due to fatigue on the artists’ part as they had started the menu after their day shift ended and then worked all through the night. Customers have pointed out the mistake ever since, but it remains immortalised in the restaurant menu under Allen’s orders!

The original menu was the first glimpse of the whimsy that would later be closely associated with both Peter and The Pancake Parlour. Dishes were listed under headings such as “Savoury,” “Simple Fare” and “Exotics”. “Accessories” advised customers on how to add or subtract pancakes with the relevant charges for doing so. The drinks section was simply entitled “Liquids”, with a variety “of diverse residue and thickness,” and included “coffee for talking”.

The menu today has become more modern and many more items have been included; however, it still encompasses much of the original humour.