In 1972 first feminist restaurant in America opened up in the West Village

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]In 1972, the first feminist restaurant in America opened up in the West Village. The woman behind it had just been fired from the feminist movement.

[00:00:07]Delores Alexander was a journalist at Newsday when she proposed the executive director position at the National Organization for Women. The following year, Betty Friedan fired her during what Delores called a lesbian purge. She wasn't even out yet. That same summer, she fell in love with Jill Ward. Late one night, Jill was stuck on the Long Island Expressway with nowhere to eat.

[00:00:26]When she got home, she told Delores, "Let's open up a feminist restaurant."

[00:00:29]Bankers refused their loan because they were women. When word got out they were raising money through friends, the Securities and Exchange Commission warned them about soliciting funds. They called them "two freaks from the women's lib." Mother Courage opened on West 11th Street in 1972. It was the first feminist restaurant in the United States, meaning a restaurant owned, run, and staffed entirely by women. A place where women could eat alone without being harassed. Novel. Regulars included Audre Lorde, author Kate Millett, and journalist Susan Brownmiller. The organization she ran didn't want her.

[00:01:00]So, Delores built a coffee table.