RIP Red Vinyl Booth

The corner booth in our retro kitchen seemed like it would be nice. Everyone who has visited or seen pictures has commented how neat it was. I agree in theory. It would have been neat if it was functional. It could be fun to sit there with some friends and enjoy a burger with fries & a milkshake, if I ever made such things. The problem was, in order to make such things, I needed that table for my work space. How could anyone use such tiny counters for anything except a microwave, drying rack and staging area for dirty dishes? Ok, I admit, the whole place was designed before microwaves. However, wasn't it designed in an era that predated take-out? Wasn't it an era of home cooked food? How could anyone cook with shallow countertops and 12" vertical space?

I digress. This is about the booth.

I can count on one hand how many times people have sat at the booth with me to eat anything, and it was limited to cheese & crackers, breakfast with Betsy & Evan (the morning sun is nice), and lunch there while unpacking from the move in November. Otherwise, the table was pushed towards the wall to allow more space for movement and less of a reach to the outlet for the coffee maker, not permitting access to the short side unless you slid around the bend. Our downstairs neighbors, who are blessed with an identical booth,have the same experience.

Many people suggested trying to sell it, along with the "vintage" stove. I took one step in that direction, taking some photos, but never posted an ad and was happy enough to just toss it out the window. Even the Got Junk guys commented that while everyone else is going retro, we're tossing retro. Oh, well.

On a final note, I always referred to it as the "Johnny Rockets Booth", tho I can't say I've ever eaten at one. Unknowingly, Simone has confirmed this though with her February photo album of Aileen & Jack. Aileen's birthday dinner was at Johnny Rockets:

Looks a lot like this, don't you think?