were operated under Bickford's Foster's Lunch System, Ltd. subdivision, headquartered in San Francisco, California. By 1959, there were 28 Foster's Cafeterias & Bakeries in San Francisco and other locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Oakland, Berkeley and San Mateo. The Foster's Lunch System, Ltd. also operated the Moar's Cafeterias, in Hillsdale Shopping Center at 70 Hillsdale Plaza in San Mateo and 33 Powell Street, just north of the cable car turntable with a large mosaic by Benny Bufano on one wall. Foster's English muffins Foster's cafeterias were known for Foster's English Muffins, sourdough English muffins that were sold packaged at the cafeterias to take home. These muffins were often mentioned by Herb Caen in his column. They were also sold in supermarkets and groceries. Literary References Bickford's Jack Kerouac sometimes wrote while sitting in Bickford's, and he mentioned the restaurant in Lonesome Traveler. Other members of the Beat Generation could be found at night in the New York Bickford's: The best minds of Allen Ginsberg's generation "sank all night in submarine light of Bickford's," he wrote in Howl. The Beat Generation muse, Herbert Huncke, practically inhabited the Bickford's on West 42nd Street. Walker Evans photographed Bickford's customers, and Andy Warhol rhapsodized about Bickford's waitresses. Bickford's made its way into the work of writers as diverse as Woody Allen and William Styron. Foster's Allen Ginsberg when he was living in San Francisco liked to go to the large Foster's cafeteria on the north side of Sutter between Powell and Stockton. He wrote the first section of Howl there in 1954. He took vows there about January 1955 with Peter Orlovsky to be his lover, their promise being "that neither of us would go into heaven unless we could get the other one in". See also List of pancake houses References External links Bickfords Grille Bickford, Jeffrey S. Bickford's, Inc. - History/photos 1922-1959 1921 establishments in New York (state) Restaurants in New York City Culture of New York City New England Regional restaurant chains in the United States Restaurants established in 1921 Restaurants in Massachusetts Pancake houses