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Michele Testa, Sr., arrived in Palm Beach, Florida,
from Chicago, Illinois in 1921. He opened a small
soda fountain in the old Garden Theater from
December 1921 until November 1929. The nucleus
of the present Testa's began with a small fountain
with seven seats, one table for four and a small
table for two...

In 1929 the Testa family moved their
establishment two doors east into what is now
Chuck & Harrolds and operated there through
1946. At that time they moved once more to their
present location at 221 Royal Poinciana Way.
Testa's featured sandwiches, coffee, ice cream
sodas, sundaes, homemade pies and cakes and
cinnamon rolls including cigars, cigarettes and
boxed candy...

On cold days hot soups were served and perhaps a beef or lamb stew helped overcome the chill in the air. People would
drop by in their bicycle-powered rolling chairs on their way to or from the Beach Club (Bradley's Casino). Guests from the old
Breakers Hotel or the Royal Poinciana Hotel would stop in for a limeade, a soda, or sundae.

Directly across our narrow Main Street were the Florida East Coast Railway tracks. The Palm Beach Station was down the
street and the Police & Fire Departments were next door to our present location. Mrs. Roche' had a Cake Shop and her
coconut cakes were world famous. Young Joe Testa sold her the coconuts for five cents each but he first had to remove the
outer hull which was quite a feat for a small boy.

Fancy food stores and greengrocers catered
to the needs of the Palm Beachers including
the Stromm Co. & JH Butterfield. There was
also a mule drawn trolley car that ran down
the center of Pine Walk between the
Breakers and Royal Poinciana Hotel. Life
during this era was very leisurely and Palm
Beach was at the height of its glamor. Paris
Singer came here at this time and built the
Everglades Club and started building large
Spanish style homes which he is famous for
today.

A charming bit of local color was the Washboard Band which entertained nightly on the sidewalk in front of our Sidewalk Cafe.

In 1937 Palm Beach widened the old Main Street and created what is now Royal Poinciana Way lined with the stately and elegant
Royal Palm Trees and flower gardens in the green-grassed median separating the east and west bound traffic

Our Restaurant and Inn in Bar Harbor, Maine were started in 1934. A great number of Palm Beachers summer in this area located
just outside historical Acadia National Park. The same fine food is served in Bar Harbor as in Palm Beach adding, of course, the
many traditional Maine delicacies.

Testa's progressed with the times and during the 40's & 50's added the popular Sidewalk Cafe and Tropical Garden Room where
you may dine in the midst of lush tropical plants.

Through the greater part of this century and continuing today, the Testa Family has made every effort to maintain both the
quality of our food and the feeling of warmth and cordiality that Michele Testa, Sr. introduced to Palm Beach 80 years ago.

Our Beginning:

The year 1921 was a tremendously exciting time in South Florida. Henry Morrison Flagler had just completed his railroads opening the Palm Beaches to exploration and the rich and famous who were 'tracking' down in their opulent private railroad cars to avoid the chilly north. The town of Palm Beach was just ten years old and Warren G. Harding was beginning his first term as president with a young Calvin Coolidge as his running mate. The adventures of Sherlock Holmes had just been released and the Great Depression still loomed ten years in the future...

And 1921 also brought the first of several million guests to TESTA's of PALM BEACH. Over three quarters of a century, illustrated by the photographs in our 'Family Scrapbook located in our main dining room, reflect the wonderful existence we have shared in Palm Beach.
Testa's Restaurant has been more than where we've earned our living, it's been our life. With the community we've shared the great times together, raised our families, and fought hand in hand the storms and fires which have touched our area. We've lost loved ones and have shared the joys of birth. It is more where we greet our friends as guests than our guests as friends.

We hope you enjoy the experience our past has provided. We express a warm thank you for
joining us and for becoming a part of the next 75 years of history!

-The Testa Family