Name/Title
Refreshment Coaster — "Restaurace a jídelny" (RaJ) State Catering EnterpriseEntry/Object ID
2025.1.323Description
Round pressed wood-pulp coaster, printed on the shown face. The central color image is a tall footed glass of pink/red beverage with a straw, beside a half lemon and a small cluster of fruits/berries, set against a yellow half-sun and horizontal grey and teal bands. A navy arc across the top reads "RESTAURACE A JÍDELNY"; a matching arc across the bottom reads "TĚŠÍME SE NA SHLEDANOU."Use
Brought from Czechoslovakia by Leopoldo Arús CaraballoContext
"Restaurace a jídelny" (RaJ) was the national-enterprise system that ran most Czechoslovak restaurants, pubs, buffets, and canteens, organized on a district basis and established by the local national committees, operating until 1989. This is a general refreshment/soft-drink advertising coaster carrying the enterprise's farewell slogan ("We look forward to seeing you again").Collection
The Cabrera Arús family collection, Leopoldo Arús Gálvez collectionMade/Created
Manufacturer
Restaurace a JídelnyDate made
1989Place
Country
CzechoslovakiaRegion
Eastern EuropeContinent
EuropeNotes
Issuer: Restaurace a jídelny (RaJ), Czechoslovakia. Printer/designer not identified.
Date: circa 1950s–1970s (tentative) — consistent with the RaJ system and the mid-century graphic style; no printed date.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Location
front of coasterTranscription
RESTAURACE A JÍDELNY/PREJEME VÁM DOBROU CHUŤLanguage
CzechTranslation
RESTAURANTS AND DINING ROOMS / WE WISH YOU GOOD TASTEMaterials
Material
CardboardMaterial Notes
Pressed/molded wood-pulp board (beer-mat board); printing ink (navy/teal, yellow, pink/red, grey).Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Restaurace a JídelnyPerson or Organization
Leopoldo Arús CaraballoPerson or Organization
Leopoldo Arús GálvezRelated Places
Place
Country
CzechoslovakiaRegion
Eastern EuropeContinent
EuropePlace
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaResearch Notes
Person
Hana FlammDate
5/6/2022Notes
http://nase-rec.ujc.cas.cz/archiv.php?lang=en&art=4767
An article from the journal "Naše řeč (Our Language)" in 1960 debates whether the abbreviation RaJ denotes a singular or plural speaker when being used in official phrases, such as "RaJ wish[es] you well."Notes
"Restaurace a jídelny" were Czechoslovak catering enterprises founded on a territorial principle at roughly district level, established by the locally competent national committees, operating most of the country's nationalized or newly built dining establishments — pubs, restaurants, bistros, buffets — until 1989, with four official price classes; in smaller settlements the hospitality was instead run by the Jednota consumer cooperative.Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
March 31, 2022Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 18, 2026