How it started
History
Laughner's Cafeterias roots trace to 1888 with the opening of Laughner & Perry Confectionary. It was a joint between William Jonathon Wesley Laughner (Jonathon) and William J. Perry. Laughner later bought out his partner in 1892, and in 1900 opened Laughner's Dairy Lunch, also in Indianapolis. Jonathon's brothers, George A., Ora and Elmer, all entered the business. Jonathon and his son Claude opened a restaurant together, and Claude's five children later joined the business. Claude introduced the cafeteria-style restaurant concept in 1920. His sons, Charles, Lloyd, and Richard, formed Laughner Brothers. A cousin was involved in the founding of rival MCL Cafeterias.
From Wikipedia’s article on Laughner's Cafeteria, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2