The Original Restaurant

A Thermopolium in Pompeii

Way back in Ancient Greece and Rome, many people in the urban cities of the time enjoyed eating out. Many lived in housing similar to modern apartment buildings called insulae in Latin. These insulae were everywhere in Rome, similar to modern cities, the buildings were close to each other and housed many people. Just like today quite a few of these apartments didn't have full kitchens to cook and prepare foods. Now, the bottom floor of these apartments were often reserved for tabernae, or shops and markets. The Romans as well as the Greek were very social people and enjoyed going around the city, shopping, visiting friends, and going to the theatre. One of the ways they would socialize was, just like today, eating! The combination of crowded cities, a demand for prepared food, and the desire to hangout with friends gave birth to some of the first restaurants in the world: the thermopolia! These were small L-shaped bars in which they laid large jars of hot and cold food and drinks. Anyone could walk up, order, and pay for a prepared meal to enjoy. These were often located on the corners of large buildings, such as the insulae, to allow the general populous easy access. The popularity of these ancient, possibly original, restaurants can be seen in the ruins of Pompeii, where there are over 150 individual thermopolium!