This Southern Cafeteria-Style Restaurant Chain Has Been Serving Up Comfort Foods Since The '40s

Put on your church shoes, the good ones, the ones that clap against the squeaky wood floors of the church aisles, the one your grandma tells you not to scuff and to shine on the regular. You take them from the top shelf of your closet, and slip them on with some effort. Many a Southern child knows the importance of church shoes, and what wearing them portends: not just Sunday School, or family weddings and funerals, but also the joy of the Sunday dinner. And what better place for Sunday dinner than Piccadilly's Cafeteria? Yes, the cafeteria-style restaurant was, and still is for many, the only place to go on a Sunday. 

Though still kicking, especially in the Southeastern portion of the United States, Piccadilly has seen its fair share of turmoil and restaurant closures. However, once upon a time, this cafeteria chain, so resplendent with Southern comfort dishes, was not only on the rise, but seemed destined for dining ubiquity. And no, this chain was no flash in the pan, à la Rax Roast Beef. Piccadilly actually got its start nearly 100 years ago, in 1932. This is when the first location opened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Of course, it wasn't until 1944, when "Tandy" Hamilton purchased the restaurant from Thomas Costas that the restaurant really began to take shape into the deeply embedded southern chain that it now is. Hamilton had an extensive background in running cafeteria style restaurants, and had spent 21 years working in the industry when he decided to strike out on his own.

At its height, in the late 1990s, Piccadilly had 270 locations. The cafeteria restaurant focused its offerings on classic comfort foods and Southern dishes such as crispy fried chicken, carrot souffle, fried okra, an assortment of salads, and desserts such as pecan pie and red velvet cake. The chain was a popular spot for family dinners and many families visited for a post-church meal.  After all, the dining format was all the rage during midcentury, and it still holds some nostalgic appeal for many a Baby Boomer. Hey, even President Barack Obama has a soft spot for cafeteria style dining, and one of his favorite Chicago haunts is a classic, low-key cafeteria.

However, Piccadilly's peak didn't last forever. In 1998, the chain acquired Morrison's Cafeteria (the cafeteria chain that actually pioneered the dining style). In 2003, Piccadilly filed for bankruptcy. The chain filed for bankruptcy again in 2012, and was purchased by Falcon Holdings, a company dedicated to fixing up struggling businesses. However, there are now under 30 locations in operation as of 2026. In 2019, the business put added emphasis on a Piccadilly To Go, a quick service format of the beloved cafeteria style restaurant. Though, really, such a shift in business isn't in line with the chain's Sunday dinner crowd. But if you're wanting a good, Southern dinner on the go, this might just be your saving grace.