Up in Flames

From the earliest days it was assumed that I would be the heir to my father’s business. I had worked with my father all my high school vacations and holidays. When I was in college my father would say when you graduate I’ll show you the business. Courses like organic chemistry, physiological chemistry made no sense to me being that I knew Ii was going into the restaurant business. After college I worked at our business until I was drafted. Two years in the military and a desk sergeant in the Military Police corp. Then back to the business I was expected to take over.

By this time I was in my mid twenty’s, and I remember there was a stretch when my father went to Europe, and went hunting in Alaska, Fishing in Florida Keys. He was well into his sixties by this time. There was a stretch that I worked six months without a day off running the business. Then it happened!

Over night the flame on the chief’s stock pot was left on high. It boiled over and flames hit the hood, the grease in the hood ignited and fire broke out in the kitchen and roof. The flames were put out, all the food had to be thrown out and the restaurant was closed down. Then the drama began. The insurance company held up reconstruction for over two years and many days at the lawyer’s office. For the first time I had no job and my father asked me to stay close because he needed me.

At first I went to work at another restaurant as a part time job, but I had a lot of time on my hand. I went on to get my airplane pilots license, well on to getting my commercial license. All the time knowing that this was a hobby, but I have to admit I did thing about making it a career.

At that time many pilots were returning from Vietnam, so decided not to pursue flying.

Having been in the military and eligible for educational benefits I decided to take advantage of a hobby I had as a teenager, Photography!

I went back to New York City and took every course the Photography school offered. The Insurance claim still had not been settled. I took a variety of jobs in Photography, Portrait, Fashion and Color Process (dye-transfer). Then the settlement came.

We reopened the restaurant, but much construction in the area and much competition made the restaurant much less competitive and less profitable. Then there was an offer to buy the restaurant for much more than we would ever had expected. We discussed it and Dad retired after the sale.

That’s when my life and career changed. For a while I was in the insurance and investment business. Shortly after, I met my future wife and we were married. Commercial Property ownership, restaurant ownership, management and personal investing became my life work.

Much of what I learned about life came from a fire that no one could have predicted.