Nathaniel Ryal Bailey (January 31, 1902 – March 27, 1978), better known as Nat Bailey, was an American-born Canadian restaurateur, and the founder of

White Spot White Spot is a Canadian restaurant chain. White spot may also refer to: Disease *''Ichthyophthirius multifiliis'', freshwater fish parasite, the disease it causes is often called ''white spot'' *'' Cryptocaryon irritans'', marine fish parasite, ...

restaurants. He is known for building the first

drive-in A drive-in is a facility (such as a restaurant or Drive-in theater, movie theater) where one can driving, drive in with an automobile for service. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by ...

restaurant in Canada, in 1928, and developing the first

carhop A carhop is a waiter or waitress who brings fast food to people in their cars at drive-in restaurants. Carhops usually work on foot but sometimes use roller skates, as depicted in movies such as ''American Graffiti'' and television shows such as ...

tray. His chain of restaurants continues to thrive today.

Biography

Born in

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...

, in 1902, Bailey moved to

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, in 1913. In the 1920s, he operated a traveling lunch counter in Vancouver, operating out of a 1918

Model T The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. Th ...

. He sold hotdogs for a dime and ice cream for a nickel. In 1928, Bailey founded the first

restaurant. By 1955, the chain was serving 10,000 cars a day and 110,000 customers a week. The chain was sold to

General Foods General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the United States by C. W. Post, Charles William (C. W.) Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. The company changed its name to "General Foods" in 1929, a ...

in 1968 when Bailey retired. Bailey was a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

, and supporter of the

Marpole Marpole, originally a Musqueam village named , is a mostly residential neighbourhood of 23,832 in 2011, located on the southern edge of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, immediately northeast of Vancouver International Airport, and is approx ...

Rotary Club, as well as the

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

. He was also a supporter of little league baseball in the city of Vancouver and was a part owner of the

Vancouver Mounties The Vancouver Mounties were a high-level minor league baseball club based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1956– 62 and – 69. Its home field was Capilano Stadium. During the Mounties' first tw ...

minor-league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

team. Bailey died in 1978 at

Vancouver General Hospital Vancouver General Hospital (locally known as VGH, or Vancouver General) is a medical facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest facility in the Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (VHHSC) group of medical facili ...

at age 76. Bailey's love of baseball was commemorated with the renaming of Capilano Stadium to

Nat Bailey Stadium Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium, also known as The Nat, is a baseball stadium in western Canada, located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is home to the Vancouver Canadians of the High-A classification Northwest League. Stadium history The ...

after his death. The stadium has been the home of the

Vancouver Canadians The Vancouver Canadians are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bail ...

, an affiliate of the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

, since 2011. Bailey was inducted to the

Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum () is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museum commemorates the great players, teams, and events from Canadian baseball history. History The museum was founded in November 1982 in ...

in 2013; he is also an inductee of the Vancouver Baseball Hall of Fame and the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame.

References

External links

Biography
at Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon {{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Nat 1902 births 1978 deaths American emigrants to Canada Baseball people from British Columbia Businesspeople from Vancouver Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Canadian restaurateurs Businesspeople from Saint Paul, Minnesota 20th-century American businesspeople