Let's Talk About That Cash Register
Earlier this week, I posted a picture of Peg at the original Peggy Jean’s in 1994. It was a solid reminder of just how far PJP has come in 27 years - minus the ten year hiatus between PJP V. 1.0 and PJP V. 2.0. We received a ton of messages about Peg, that location, and of course…the cash register. Here’s all the info:
Where Was The First Peggy Jean’s?/Where Was That Picture Taken? The very first PJP was on the far east end of the Business Loop, just near Paris Road. It was the only place they could find that would rent on a month-by-month basis for the tidy sum of $400 per month. Oh, and it was glamorously located on the back side of a gun shop and with zero visibility from the road. Peg would famously (or infamously, depending on how you look at it) would run out to the road and wave down customers with her apron because this is a pre-cell phone era we are discussing.
Was It A Big Storefront? It was 400 square feet, so basically the size of an Ikea sample showroom, minus the Swedish decor and mass produced, low cost pots and pans. Peg and Jeanne outfitted it with residential baking equipment because that’s what they could afford. They also had just a few tables for seating. They also had placemats at each seat. If Jeanne ever convinced me now that we should add seating, her second statement would be: “Let’s order placemats.”
Why Did They Have A Cash Register The Size Of A Small Car? Good question. I don’t remember where they bought it, but I can ensure you that the choice of an 1880s vintage cash register for their first business was so, so, so on brand for their friendship and their business model. The antiquarian aspect was cool, but the weighing 200 pounds and not really working was an issue. I have no idea whatever happened to it, but I low key wish we still had it.
I Thought The Broadway Location Was The First? Explain. PJP started on the Business Loop and then as they quickly grew, they relocated to a location on Broadway under American Shoe - where you find Broadway Brewery now. And finally, they moved to their location on Chapel Hill and Forum - their largest location (and by that point, they served breakfast, lunch, pie, and fancy coffee before fancy coffee was a thing.)
I Keep Trying To Read The Menu In The Picture…How Much Was A Piece Of Pie? Jeanne had no recollection, so I tried to enlarge the picture but could only see enough to wonder who wrote on that menu board because it wasn’t either of them - I recognize Jeanne’s writing and Peg had notoriously AWFUL cursive. At any rate, I think a slice of pie and a cup of coffee was $2.50. But I would bet you $10,000 that the coffee was Folgers. Which, as she drinks her Folgers in the morning, Jeanne will say to me that it is still the best.
