You Can Eat At The Last Existing Lunch Wagon At A Historic Michigan Restaurant

It's not often that you get a chance to see the last existing example of something. When that something turns out to be the only horse-drawn lunch wagon in existence, and that lunch wagon actually serves food, you have the chance to be part of American restaurant history.

You'll find the Owl Night Lunch Wagon in Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford, the Dearborn, Michigan, museum complex created by American innovator Henry Ford. As a young man, Ford worked as an engineer for the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit, and he often grabbed a quick meal at this very lunch wagon. 

In the 1890s, lunch wagons were a common sight in American cities. Traditional restaurants closed early, usually at 8:00 p.m. Local entrepreneurs began selling food from horse-drawn wagons to people who worked at night, including factory workers, newspapermen, policemen, and entertainers. Over time, lunch wagons became more elaborate, with tiny kitchens, tables and chairs, and fancy exteriors.

By the early 1900s, commuters, transit drivers, and restaurants began complaining about the traffic congestion and competition from lunch wagons. Cities began to regulate lunch wagon business hours or outlaw the wagons altogether. Lunch wagon owners started converting their portable food stands to stationary restaurants, and the American diner was born.

After Detroit banned lunch wagons in 1926, Henry Ford decided to save the Owl. He bought it and brought it to Greenfield Village, where it was originally used as a refreshment stand — the only place you could buy food amidst Greenfield Village's historic buildings. Later, the Owl became a popcorn stand.

It wasn't until the early 1980s that The Henry Ford realized its popcorn stand was a national treasure. According to Atlas Obscura, renowned diner expert Richard J. S. Gutman, also known as "The Dinerman," contacted the museum and told them that he believed the Owl Night Lunch Wagon was the last horse-drawn lunch wagon in existence. Gutman, who has made studying diners and collecting diner memorabilia his life's work, suggested that The Henry Ford restore the Owl Night Lunch Wagon.

Gutman soon found himself supervising the historic mobile restaurant's renovation. The Owl Night Lunch Stand received a custom paint job, etched glass windows, and outdoor tables. Instead of popcorn, the Owl now serves up frankfurters made from a historic recipe, cookies, hamburgers, and beverages to Greenfield Village visitors looking for an authentic 1890s dining experience. In 2019, Gutman donated his collection of diner artifacts to The Henry Ford.

[Featured image by Balthazar Korab Studios, Ltd., via the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Balthazar Korab Collection, LC-DIG-ppem-00165 | cropped and scaled]