tea room – emery, bird, thayer co.

Emery, Bird and Thayer became the king of “Petticoat Lane” – the nickname for the Kansas City shopping district. The company evolved in more ways than one. It began in 1846 as Coates and Bullene, becoming Bullene & Brother, then Bullene, Moore, Emery & Co, settling finally as Emery, Bird and Thayer in a brand new building at 11th Street – having already outgrown two prior locations.
The original building façade touted red brick and pink sandstone; yet another addition was made in 1900 and the building received a fresh coat of cream and gold paint. An impressive row of clocks hung above the first floor elevators showing times in major cities around the world (after Pearl Harbor, the Tokyo clock was removed). Up the elevator one would find Emery, Bird and Thayer’s famous Tea Room, where anyone might have a spot of the drink, and the company even hosted tea parties for the city’s children.