ESSO DINING HALL
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The following is from "Your Aruba Home" published by Lago Oil & Transport Company, Ltd. in November of 1946.
The Dining hall, with a seating capacity of 900, caters to foreign staff single employees. It also serves married men whose families are at any time away from Aruba, and has a so called "private dinning room" at which families may take meals by making advance reservation. The service is boarding house style.
The foreign staff employee wishing to use the Dining Hall facilities must contact the Headwaiter and inform him of his intensions. He is then assigned a seat.
The day workers breakfast is served betweens the hours of 6:00 and 8:00 a.m.. This consists of fruit juices, eggs and bacon or ham, hot and cold cereals, toast and coffee or tea. Luncheon, between the hours of 12 and 1, consists of salads, soups, stews, hamburger steaks, roasts, puddings, compote of fruit with cakes, and coffee or tea. Dinner is served from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.. This is the main meal and consists of various kinds of vegetables, chops cutlets, beef roasts, steaks, fowl, and desserts of various kinds, coffee, chocolate, and tea.
Shift workers, however, will necessarily have a slightly different menu, due to their varying schedules. On the 8-4 shift, breakfast is served between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m. at which time the boarder receives a packed lunch consisting of three sandwiches, (either cold cuts, cheese, jam or peanut butter) one pack of cookies, a salad (chicken tomato, etc.) two pieces of fruit and pickles, tomatoes or onion on request. His dinner time is from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m..
On the 4-12 shift breakfast comes between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m. and luncheon is served from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.. Between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. the worker receive3s a packed lunch (same as on the day shift) at which time he may also have a hot meal which is the same as the day's luncheon or he may order eggs and toast. Upon completion of his shift he may have (between midnight and 12:30 a.m.) a meal which consists of the day's dinner.
On the 12-8 shift (graveyard), breakfast is served from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. and the regular luncheon from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. is available. His dinner time comes between the hours of 6:00 and 6:30 p.m.. Before going on duty, between 11:00 p.m. and midnight a lunch is provided and a hot meal is available which is the same as the day's luncheon.
There is an a la carte service on the menu which the boarder may use if he wishes. His includes a selection of steaks, sandwiches, cold cuts, cheese or omelets. These items are subject to change on the boarder's account.
A boarder may entertain guests in the private dinning room, which only his guest's meal being charged to his account.
A boarder wishing to check out of the Dining Hall signs a check out slip furnished by the Headwaiter. If he does not do this he will be kept active on the records and continue to be charged for his meals.