Luby’s, In Dallas Since 1929
by Paula Bosse
Luby’s No. 2, Main Street, 1954 (photo detail)
by Paula Bosse
The liquidation of Luby’s restaurants was announced this week. There are a lot of people (Texans in particular) who are going to take this news hard.
I spotted the Luby’s seen in the picture above in a photo I found on eBay a few years ago (see the full photo here). I was surprised to learn that the first Luby’s in Dallas opened in 1929. (I think it was the first Luby’s in Texas — there might have been a tangentially-related “Luby’s”-branded restaurant in Muskogee, Oklahoma, but let’s just say that the Luby’s at 205 Browder Street in downtown Dallas was the first one in Texas. It was opened by Earl E. Luby on January 8, 1929.
Jan. 8, 1929
The second location (the one seen in the photo above) opened at 1006 Main Street (at Poydras) two years later, on May 19, 1931.
May 19, 1931
Earl Luby was the first cousin of Harry M. Luby, the man who is generally considered to have opened the forerunner of what we now know as Luby’s. In September, 1911, Harry opened a cafeteria in Springfield, Missouri called New England Dairy Lunch — there were several other restaurants around the U.S. with the same name, so I’m not sure if he bought it as a franchise, but whatever the case, that cafeteria was the start of a tray-toting empire.
Springfield News-Leader, Sept. 20 & 21, 1911
He opened other New England cafeterias in Missouri and, with cousin Earl, in Oklahoma. (There was one in Dallas in 1919, located at 1409 Elm, which appears to be connected to the Luby family.)
Apr. 16, 1919
In 1929 Earl branched off, moved to Texas, opened his own cafeterias (mostly in Dallas), and made a fortune. (There were Luby’s cafeterias run by other members of the Luby family, most notably Harry’s son, Robert Luby, who was active in South Texas a few decades later. I don’t know whether these were two completely different business entities, but Earl was king of the very lucrative Dallas market.)
Here’s an ad from 1953 with Luby’s locations at that time (along with a Miss Inez shout-out). (Click to see a larger image.)
And from the same ad, a photo of cousins Earl and Harry enjoying a convivial cup of coffee.
June, 1953 ad (details)
And, below, a 1960 ad for the new Luby’s at the Preston Forest Shopping Center (that sign is fantastic!).
Sept., 1960
It’s a shame to say goodbye to such a long-lived Dallas institution. RIP, Luby’s. And thanks, Earl (1897-1990).
***
Sources & Notes
1954 photo of Main Street is a detail of a larger photo found in the Flashback Dallas post “Streetcar #728, Main Street — 1954.”
Luby’s website is here (hurry!).
More on the history of Luby’s (with some incorrect information and nary a mention of Earl!) can be found on Wikipedia and The Handbook of Texas.
*
Copyright © 2020 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
dont forget Miss Inez
https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2012/07/blast-from-the-past-miss-inez-at-lubys-cafeteria/
LikeLike
I didn’t!
LikeLike
Now I feel old as the hills! I remember Mrs. Inez. Reminds me of when I use to take piano from that incredible lady upstairs at the Oak Cliff Music Company across from Sears… I can’t believe I’m having trouble remembering her name. I studied from her for over 8 years and my last recital I played Hungarian Rhapsodie #2…
LikeLike
This made me think of my Mom and Dad, it was their favorite place to go. My Dad would get the chopped beef patty and my Mom would get the Lou Ann platter every time we went. Every Tea Lady in the place knew their names. Good times.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My mom loved going to Lubys. Good food and great music. There was a Pat Lubys in the Casa View shopping center. I always assumed they were related. We really hated that it closed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They were related, Pat and my grandpa George ran the Luby’s in the DFW area and Pat kept some stores and did a rebrand.
LikeLike
Would you have any pictures?
LikeLike
There is a location in Ft Worth at I – 20 At the Forest Park exit. This Location
was not in Dad’s Group. It was Bob Luby’s group out of San Antonio. Bob Luby was Dad’s first cousin
LikeLike
Send me your email and i will send you what i found also a few shots inside the outside shot has several men standing in front i am sure one of them was your dad James
LikeLike
My Grandparents would take the whole crew (16 of us all together) to the Preston Forest Luby’s when everyone was in town. Before then it was the Hillcrest location, and Miss Inez was always playing at both of them. She must have been a very busy lady.
My favorites were mac and cheese and eggplant casserole.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Paula, thanks to your fabulous blog, I like to poke around the Squire Haskins Collection of photographs at UTA, and this one of the Southland Life building has a nice neon Luby’s sign at the lower left (which can be seen very well when you look at the image full-size).
https://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/img/20006710
LikeLike
Thank you. And that’s a great photo!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Used to go to Luby’s in Oak Lawn, about where Whole Foods is now. There was a Skillerns drug store, a small tailor shop, a bakery, a Tom Thumb, then Luby’s, in that order. I would always get the garlic bread, the roast beef, and the carrot salad. I was about 10 years old at the time. There was a Hammond organist playing during the dinner. What good memories of Dallas in the 50s.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for all the wonderful comments. My Dad is very sad today. If he were alive today, I think he and Joe Luby would try to start them here in Dallas again. David Luby
LikeLiked by 1 person
Would you have any photos of Preston forest or any of the locations?
LikeLike
I do not. My brother, who lives in Colorado, does not have any. I will call him. By the way, did you graduate from Hillcrest??
LikeLike
David, i found some old pictures of Preston Forest when it opened Sept 7 1960, i do not know how to sent them on this page but you may view it in my facebook page the pictures are not good quality but i can make them out James
LikeLike
I found a picture in the Dallasnews opening day Preston Forest
LikeLike
Worked at Preston Forest when in school Great experience Dick Workman played a organ at night
LikeLiked by 1 person
Uncle Earl Was 51% owner. We lived down the street
LikeLiked by 1 person
David, I went to TJ, Thanks I have tried to find some photos with no results. I do remember when you came to Radford’s and we went to church at Believers chapel are you still in Dallas? I am in the Abilene area but did live in Wichita Falls and went to the last remaining Lubys when i lived there however it closed in early 2020. I will always remember you dad George D Luby one day when i was leaving the Lubys on midway he and his wife was coming in and he said After al these may years i was still eating at Lubys!! in fact i still do make a special trip to do that when i come to Dallas and still have a coffee cup paper with Lubys on at and a few other objects like a I Love Lubys button we put on while working James feel free to cal me any time at 325 6607843
LikeLike
Cathy and I have lived in Arlington, Tx just a mile north of JERRY WORLD
LikeLike
David, I was in Arlington a few weeks ago, there was a Lubys in south Arlington and also a Furrs however all the Furrs are now closed, a former Furrs was in Hobbs in a small mall and was reopened Named Hobbs buffet that was quite good i do have pictures of it Do you ever visit the Lubys in Arlington?
LikeLike