RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of the 50th Anniversary of Lettuce Entertain You by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Richard "Rich" Melman, co-founder and chairman of the board of Lettuce Entertain You created this unique Chicago icon on June 10, 1971; and
WHEREAS, Rich grew up in a middle-class family; and
WHEREAS, Rich struggled to find investors for his first restaurant, until he met Jerry Orzoff on two separate occasions; and
WHEREAS, Jerry became Rich's best friend, mentor, and business guru; and
WHEREAS, In 1971, Rich and Jerry opened their first restaurant called R.J. Grunts in Lincoln Park that took months before it caught on with celebrities and athletes; and
WHEREAS, Within five years, Rich and Jerry opened four more restaurants, including a recreation of The Pump Room, a stylish magnet for Hollywood elites like Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli and Cary Grant; and
WHEREAS, Rich married his wife Martha, with whom he had three children, R.J., Jerrod and Molly; and
WHEREAS, In its current iteration, Lettuce Entertain You operates 130 restaurants spanning seven states and the nation's capitol, with more in the planning stages; and
WHEREAS, Past associations included Stephen Colbert, Jane Lynch, and David Schwimmer, while others have risen in the ranks to become some ofthe company's more than 75 partners; and
WHEREAS, Rich helped launch the Taste of Chicago on July 4, 1980; and
WHEREAS, Lettuce Entertain Us is still family-owned and operated, with founder Richard Melman's children having assumed leadership of the organization. R.J., the oldest, is now president with Jerrod and Molly, as executive partners; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members ofthe Chicago City Council, assembled this twenty-first day of July, 2021, do hereby recognize the 50th Anniversary of Lettuce Entertain You as well as Richard Melman's lifetime achievements and accolades; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitab...
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