In 1931, Henry and Dora Schnackenberg opened a Washington Street luncheonette in Hoboken, New Jersey. The NJ.com website stated, "The food was basic kitchenette fare: burgers, shakes, tuna melts, store-made doughnuts, and...the eggtzel, a kind of pretzel breakfast sandwich." During holiday seasons, Schnackenberg's made homemade Easter Bunnies and Santa chocolates using vintage metal molds. This short film profiles Helen Firehock, a submissive spinster waitress, who worked there for fifty years at that time. In 2019, thirty years after this film, Schnackenberg's was closed by different owners. "Doughnuts and milkshakes are not the steady diet of modern Hobokenites," explained Joyce Flinn. This famous luncheonette was replaced by a salad bar restaurant. Hoboken residents lamented the demise of another old-Hoboken institution as an example of ongoing yuppie gentrification. In her film, Nicole Lucas has captured for local history what customers appreciated about the luncheonette, the dedicated staff, the delicious food, and classic decor.
—Joe Duffy (I)