Edward &Theodore Danziger
The Danziger family brought a taste of the Old World to Chapel Hill and launched a fine-dining empire that educated local palates and championed civil rights. Edward Danziger was a noted confectioner before arriving in the U.S. in 1939. He owned a candy factory in Vienna and five stores throughout Europe but left the businesses to avoid possible internment in a Nazi concentration camp. “Papa D,” as he was known here, arrived in Chapel Hill thanks to a $500 grant from the local Quaker community. Danziger’s Old World Candy Shop opened on East Franklin Street, selling house-made confections, pastries, coffee and sodas. An instant hit, it soon expanded to include a full-service restaurant and changed its name to Danziger’s Old World Restaurant. Its final incarnation included a gift shop, featuring European items in addition to confections.
In 1948, son Ted launched a new venture in the candy store’s basement. The Rathskellar, with its witty menu descriptions and themed rooms like the Cave and the Circus Room, became an icon. Affectionately called “the Rat,” the eatery allegedly introduced pizza to the Southern Part of Heaven, and was the first restaurant in town to serve draft beer. The Zoom Zoom Room followed, opening on the
corner of Franklin and Columbia streets and becoming a popular student hangout. In 1953, Ted opened The Ranch House, a steak
house on historic Airport Road. The Danzigers also created the Villa Teo in a stately home on East Franklin Street’s Strowd Hill, and The Bacchae, below “the Zoom,” was Chapel Hill’s first night club.
The Danzigers forever changed the way Chapel Hillians thought about eating out. From casual dining and game-day eats to special events and intimate dinners, locals and visitors alike frequently ate at a Danziger family establishment. At one time, the family businesses employed 125. Staunch advocates for social justice, the Danzigers were outspoken about integration. Ted publicly opposed segregation at a time other business owners would not, and hired African-Americans for high-profile jobs in his restaurants. The family vowed to serve any “neat and orderly student” regardless of race, a risky proposition in the segregated South. The family were vocal supporters of local minister and civil rights leader Charlie Jones. After he resigned his ministry in the wake of controversy, the Danziger family encouraged Jones to form a new congregation. With their help, the Community Church was founded in 1958 with Jones in the pulpit.
For their game-changing culinary impact and unwavering support of social justice, we proudly induct Edward “Papa D” and Ted Danziger into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Business Hall of Fame.
In 1948, son Ted launched a new venture in the candy store’s basement. The Rathskellar, with its witty menu descriptions and themed rooms like the Cave and the Circus Room, became an icon. Affectionately called “the Rat,” the eatery allegedly introduced pizza to the Southern Part of Heaven, and was the first restaurant in town to serve draft beer. The Zoom Zoom Room followed, opening on the
corner of Franklin and Columbia streets and becoming a popular student hangout. In 1953, Ted opened The Ranch House, a steak
house on historic Airport Road. The Danzigers also created the Villa Teo in a stately home on East Franklin Street’s Strowd Hill, and The Bacchae, below “the Zoom,” was Chapel Hill’s first night club.
The Danzigers forever changed the way Chapel Hillians thought about eating out. From casual dining and game-day eats to special events and intimate dinners, locals and visitors alike frequently ate at a Danziger family establishment. At one time, the family businesses employed 125. Staunch advocates for social justice, the Danzigers were outspoken about integration. Ted publicly opposed segregation at a time other business owners would not, and hired African-Americans for high-profile jobs in his restaurants. The family vowed to serve any “neat and orderly student” regardless of race, a risky proposition in the segregated South. The family were vocal supporters of local minister and civil rights leader Charlie Jones. After he resigned his ministry in the wake of controversy, the Danziger family encouraged Jones to form a new congregation. With their help, the Community Church was founded in 1958 with Jones in the pulpit.
For their game-changing culinary impact and unwavering support of social justice, we proudly induct Edward “Papa D” and Ted Danziger into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Business Hall of Fame.