Paramount Grill

Paramount Grill was listed in the Green Book as “Paramount–907 E. Market St.” under “Taverns” in Greensboro from 1939-1941 and 1947-1955.¹

Paramount Grill opened at 907 E. Market Street in 1935. The restaurant was established by Mrs. Carrie Blackburn. It offered a special dining room for parties and home-cooked meals. A newspaper article reporting on an event held at Paramount Grill in 1944 noted the menu served for a “delicious” dinner: “fried chicken, string beans, sliced tomatoes, salad dressing, and rolls.” Cake and ice cream were served for dessert.²

Paramount Grill was a family affair. Carrie’s daughter, Margaret Saunders, was a co-owner. When the restaurant moved to 909 E. Market Street in 1949, Margaret’s husband, Lee Saunders, opened up a fruit market in the same location, which remained until the Paramount Grill closed in 1961. He opened the fruit stand after returning from a stint in the South Pacific with the US Army.³

Mrs. Blackburn  owned the restaurant until 1961, but she was not always the person who managed it. Frank Davis Jr. was the manager in 1953. Mrs. Pearl Davis became the manager in 1954 and remained in that position until at least 1958. Margaret Saunders and Lee Saunders also managed and co-owned the business.⁴

In an interview, Margaret Saunders noted that Mrs. Blackburn also owned a beauty salon (Rose Beauty Salon, located behind Paramount Grill). Paramount Grill allowed Carrie to put Maragaret through Bennett College. Margaret recalled the role that the city commission played in the business closing during the displacement of businesses on East Market street when the area was redeveloped in the 1960s. Unable to afford a new location, the family remained at 909 E. Market Street until the city acquired the property and forced them to leave.⁵

Mrs. Carrie Blackburn was born in Statesville, NC. She was widowed by the Green Book era. Mrs. Blackburn was active in the United Institutional Baptist Church and in her community. She served as a Girl Scout leader, was a member of the NAACP, and was a charter member of the Metropolitan Council of Negro Women. She passed away in 1990.⁶

Essay by Brandie K. Ragghianti, 2024

Notes

1. Victor Green, 1939 Green Book, 33; Green, 1940 Green Book, 35; Green, 1941 Green Book, 35; Green, 1947 Green Book, 64; Green, 1948 Green Book, 62; Green, 1949 Green Book, 56; Green, 1950 Green Book, 62; Green, 1951 Green Book, 53; Green, 1952 Green Book, 53; Green, 1953 Green Book, 53; Green, 1954 Green Book, 53; Green, 1955 Green Book, 53. 
2. Hill’s Greensboro, NC City Directory, 1934-1962; Advertisement for Paramount Grill, The Bennett Banner, November 1960, p. 3;  The Register, May 28, 1935, NCAT Student Newspapers, accessed October 6, 2018, http://cdm15116.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15116coll1/id/20316; 
   "Paramount Grill," The Bennett Banner, May 1, 1939, p. 4, http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2014236904/1939-05-01/ed-1/seq-4; “Graduation Gifts, The Future Outlook (Greensboro, NC), May 27, 1944, p. 9, http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn97064597/1944-05-27/ed-1/seq-9/, http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2014236904/1960-11-01/ed-1/seq-3/.
3.  “Scene from Miss Henderson’s Wedding,” The Future Outlook (Greensboro, NC), January 17, 1942, p. 2, accessed from www.newspapers.com;  Hill’s Greensboro, NC City Directory, 1949-1962;  Lorraine Ahearn, “East Market Street Memories,” News and Record (Greensboro, NC), February 15, 1997, accessed April 24, 2019, https://www.greensboro.com/east-market-street-memories/article_c52e0de0-2346-51e9-b5c8-82ab42eabd90.html. 
4. Hill’s Greensboro, NC City Directory, 1961-1962, 1953-1958; Carrie Blackburn (obituary), News and Record (Greensboro, NC), December 22, 1990, accessed April 24, 2019, https://www.greensboro.com/guilford-county-obituaries/article_eaeafe56-9dda-5590-b7b2-892294d58ef1.html. 
5.   Lorraine Ahearn, “East Market Street Memories,” News and Record (Greensboro, NC), February 15, 1997, accessed April 24, 2019, https://www.greensboro.com/east-market-street-memories/article_c52e0de0-2346-51e9-b5c8-82ab42eabd90.html. 
6.  Carrie Blackburn (obituary), News and Record (Greensboro, NC), December 22, 1990, accessed April 24, 2019, https://www.greensboro.com/guilford-county-obituaries/article_eaeafe56-9dda-5590-b7b2-892294d58ef1.html.