Fourth:

That we establish in San Francisco a purchasing and supply agency for the assistance and convenience of our various missionary enterprises, food stores, restaurants, etc.KC 141.7

In the afternoon meeting these plans were discussed and approved.
-KC 141.8

W. C. White: Another question, Mother, that we have been considering is, what is our duty in the matter of establishing restaurants? We have heard you say in private and in public, and have read in what you have written, something with reference to the advantages to the cause, of establishing vegetarian restaurants. Recently there have seemed to be some good openings. The difficulty that we have been considering is the expense. To establish a restaurant according to the plan on which they are usually conducted, means an investment of from seven hundred to a thousand dollars.KC 141.9

When Dr. Kellogg was here last, he was much interested in our food stores, and the doctor suggested that we consider the advisability of establishing restaurants in an inexpensive way in connection with these stores. We have thought that such beginnings could be made with an outlay of two or three hundred dollars in a place. What would you think of that plan?KC 142.1

Mrs. E. G. White: That would be a very small outlay, would it not? Could you limit the expenditure to that amount? I should think that you would have to expend a little more than that.KC 142.2

W. C. White: If the restaurants succeed at all, they would grow and require more. That is the case with our children,—as they grow larger, and we see them develop, we are ready to spend more on them.KC 142.3

There is a question in our minds as to whether it would be right to make the Food Company more independent, more self-reliant, than it has been in the past, and then encourage it to take up the restaurant business, and introduce restaurants in connection with its stores?KC 142.4

Heretofore our restaurants have been separate enterprises,—often established by individuals,—one person here, one person there, or two persons in some place, or by an agent of an association sent out to do this kind of work. Each restaurant had to work out most of the problems for itself.KC 142.5

In the establishment of food stores, one man has gone out and opened the stores, and all have been managed on a uniform plan. We have been thinking of letting the same company undertake the establishment of small restaurants. It could have a number of them. If they grew too large to be operated to advantage in connection with the food stores, then another place could be found. We have thought that as you said we should begin small and let things grow, perhaps it would be in harmony with right principles to follow this plan in the establishment of restaurants.KC 142.6