It’s not surprising that a clock in the shape of a cat, its tail swinging to the tick tock of the clock, should have watched over proceedings at The Black Cat Café & Sea Grill in Burlington, Vermont, in the 1940s.

The cat clock was the idea of proprietor Charles Chantis, a Greek-born chef who trained in France, and who came to America to open his own restaurant. There was a dining area at the front of the property and a dimly lit bar and lounge area at the back. On weekends, there was dancing. We found an advertisement for Ray Dorey and his band who played there.

Mr Chiantis, who bought the Black Cat Café in the 1930s, sold it in the 1940s and ownership changed several times until it was run in the 60s and 70s by the Pappas family.

According to reminiscences we found online, many local youngsters had their first taste of alcohol there and played the ‘yard of beer’ game. This is when participants drink 2.5 pints of beer in a specially made, yard-long glass.

Apparently, the trick was that you had to twirl the glass to drink the beer without spilling it. Anyone who had an accident and broke the glass had to fork up $35 for a replacement. An expensive mistake.

The Black Cat Café stayed in business until 1977 when three members of the Pappas family died in a gas explosion that destroyed the entire building and the State Theatre.

The location is now a Farmhouse Tap and Grill.