where did the term 86 come from in the restaurant busisness?

Answer 1

There are Many explanations:

The Delmonico's origin.
This seems to be the most widely-accepted explanation,
and may even have some proof to it.
Ribeye steak
(sometimes other items are used,
depending on which story you read)
was item number 86 at Delmonico's.
On one, or more, occasions, they ran out of item "86",
which somehow became shorthand for running out of anything.

It was supposed to have derived from the street-car line
that operated on First Avenue
on the East Side of Manhattan.
The line ran from 14th Street to 86th Street
(both major east-west streets).
As a north-bound car came to the last stop,
the motorman would call out
(usually in a rich brogue),
"Eighty-six! End of the line! All out!"

that it derives from British merchant shipping,
in which the standard crew was 85,
so that the 86th man was left behind;

that it was the deminsions of a grave.
6 ft deep 8 ft long. therefore the item is dead or 86'd

that 86 was the number of the American law
that forbade bartenders
to serve anyone who was drunk
(stories disagree about which state it had been enacted in);

that a fashionable New York restaurant only had 85 tables,
so the eighty-sixth was the one you gave
to somebody you didn't want to serve;

or that a restaurant (usually said to be in New York)
had an especially popular item
as number 86 on the menu,
so that it frequently ran out.

Another explanation frequently given
relates the expression to the strengths of spirits served in bars.
It is said that these were normally 100 degrees proof
but that when a customer was getting over-heated
they served instead a weaker brew that was only
86 degrees proof

Many people quote other examples of number slang
used by hard-pressed servers:
99 meant "the manager is prowling about"
and 98 similarly referred to the assistant manager
(was 97 a busybody child
who wanted to grow up to be a manager?);
19 is a banana split;
55 is root beer, and so on.
Presumably some of these related to the
numbering on a standard menu somewhere at some time,
but the details have been lost.

Answer 2

There are several theories on the origin of the term. In the bar culture, it is attributed to Article 86 of the New York State Liquor Code. Article 86 specifically outlines the circumstances in which a bar patron should be refused alcohol or removed from the bar. In the restaurant culture, the theory goes back to the Great Depression and the soup kitchens. The legend goes that soup kitchens were limited to 85 patrons at a time so number 86 in line wouldn't receive food.

A lesser known theory is that Cockney rhyming slang took the word nix and transformed it into "86'ed".

The term also is said to have links to the Mob.

Answer 3

Used as a verb, to "eighty-six" means to "ignore" or "get rid of". Suggested theories of the source of this usage include:
Possibly a reference to article 86 of the New York state liquor code which defines the circumstances in which a bar patron should be refused service or "86ed". Another theory has it that this is rhyming slang for "nix." Interestingly, this seems to be an American coinage, unusual for rhyming slang.[1]

Others have suggested that this usage originated from the famous Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City, as item number 86 on their menu, their house steak, often ran out during the 19th century.

Another explanation is that Chumley's, a famous 1900's New York speakeasy, was located at 86 Bedford St. During Prohibition, an entrance through an interior adjoining courtyard was used, as it provided privacy and discretion for customers.

As was a New York tradition, the cops were on the payroll of the bar and would give a ring to the bar that they were coming for a raid. The bartender would then give the command "86 everybody!", which meant that everyone should hightail it out the 86 Bedford entrance because the cops were coming in through the courtyard door.

The term came into popular use among soldiers and veterans to describe missing soldiers as 86'd. Rather than describe buddies missing in action, it was slang to describe the mia as violating UJMJ Sub Chapter X Article 86.

Another explanation is the possibility of a simple variation of the slang term deep six, which has identical meaning, and is simply meant to describe the approximate depth of a grave.

Answer 4

generally used in restaurant or foodservice environments when a specific item is no longer available. For example, "86 baked haddock", or "the mussels have been 86'ed".
used as a verb, to "eighty-six" means to "ignore" or "get rid of". Suggested theories of the source of this usage include:
Possibly a reference to article 86 of the New York state liquor code which defines the circumstances in which a bar patron should be refused service or "86ed". Another theory has it that this is rhyming slang for "nix." Interestingly, this seems to be an American coinage, unusual for rhyming slang.[1]
Others have suggested that this usage originated from the famous Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City, as item number 86 on their menu, their house steak, often ran out during the 19th century.
Another explanation is that Chumley's, a famous 1900's New York speakeasy, was located at 86 Bedford St. During Prohibition, an entrance through an interior adjoining courtyard was used, as it provided privacy and discretion for customers. As was a New York tradition, the cops were on the payroll of the bar and would give a ring to the bar that they were coming for a raid. The bartender would then give the command "86 everybody!", which meant that everyone should hightail it out the 86 Bedford entrance because the cops were coming in through the courtyard door.
The term came into popular use among soldiers and veterans to describe missing soldiers as 86'd. Rather than describe buddies missing in action, it was slang to describe the mia as violating UJMJ Sub Chapter X Article 86.
Another explanation is the possibility of a simple variation of the slang term deep six, which has identical meaning, and is simply meant to describe the approximate depth of a grave.

Answer 5

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Both of the sites below give one possibility as the location of a restaurant or bar called Cumley's at 86 Bedford St during the period called Prohibition. I'd heard the term before but never as a restaurant term. Very interesting question!

Answer 6

86 Meaning

Answer 7

To 86 something comes from the Navy actually. 86 meters is the required depth for a burial at sea. Thus to 86 something quite literally means to throw it over the side of a boat. The term has been adapted over time to mean various things, but none of them are ever good.

Answer 8

Chumley's druing prohibition. The shop had a trick staircase (four steps up and four steps down) to trip up the cops, kitchen entrances disguised to look like bookshelves, and a trap door to hide the booze. The place became a popular hangout for authors and theater folk, and Chumley began filling the walls with book jackets and photos of his clients. Because Chumley refused to pay off the cops or go into business with the Mob, his bar was frequently raided by police. These raids gave rise to the expression “Eighty-six it!”—a warning from Chumley’s lookouts that everyone should run out the door at 86 Bedford. its still there, chumleys. every once in a while, you can see it on the history channel when they do a show on bootlegging or prohibition.

Answer 9

i've been in the biz for 30 years i've heard of a few explanations
1. a resturaunts worst table was number 86
2. a guest wanted a specialty item was told it would take
86 minutes to prepare
3. the waiter was so old it took him 86 minutes to take a guest
order by then the dish was 86'ed

Answer 10

Eighty six is to refuse to serve an unwelcomed customer at a bar or restaurant. It may have derived from Chumley's Bar and restaurant at 86 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village NYC.