[2] During World War II, British Restaurants had been set up to feed civilians in need.

The Labour Minister of Food, John Strachey, noted that "private enterprise in the catering trade has, on the whole and by and large, catered for the middle class and not for the working class.

The Civic Restaurants Act gave them the option of applying to the local licensing authority in order to serve alcohol on the premises.

Many civic restaurants remained in place well into the 1950s, being used for meals, teas and functions such as wedding receptions.

The last rationing ended in 1954 and by this time, few civic restaurants remained.