Thompson's Restaurants. ca. 1934, Chicago, Illinois, USA, Thompson's RESTAURANTS 'On The Avenue of Flags'. A CENTURY OF PROGRESS, CHICAGO 1934. BEHIND the two magnificent restaurants pictured here lies a history of accomplishment proudly paralleling 'A Century of Progress'. John R. Thompson established his first restaurant in 1891. Today, forty-three years later, the Company bearing his name owns and operates 116 Pure Food Restaurants serving more than a million meals a week in 36 principal Amer