We learned this week about the origins of the Lawry’s Restaurant chain and the Lawry’s food products. Our first speaker was Richard N. Frank, who is chairman of Lawry’s Restaurants, Inc., family-owned consisting of several restaurants in the United States and abroad. In 1950, he joined the company which was founded in 1922 by his father, Lawrence L. Frank and his uncle, Walter Van de Kamp. For many years, Richard also served as present and chief executive officer of Lawry’s Foods, Inc., which produces some 100 products including Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, America’s best-selling blended seasoning. Lawry’s Foods is now owned by the McCormick Company. Under his leadership, Lawry’s Foods, Inc. grew from a fledgling family business into a multi-million dollar company that made the Lawry’s name and its fanciful “L” trademark famous. His son, Richard R. Frank, the second speaker, now serves as present and CEO of Lawry’s Restaurants, Inc. and represents the third generation of the Frank family active in the management of the company. A grandson is currently representing the fourth generation!
The Lawry’s story begins in 1915, when Ted Van De Kamp and Lawrence Frank opened a store on Spring Street in Downtown Los Angeles called Saratoga Potato Chips. The first Mr. Frank married a Van De Kamp daughter in 1913 and so started the relationship between the Lawry’s brand and the Van De Kamp bakeries.
We were shown a photo of the first Van De Kamp “Windmill Restaurant” under construction. We saw a photo of the bakery next to the Glendale Freeway, which is now slated to become a community college.
One of the Lawry’s Restaurants, the Tam O’Shanter, is Los Angeles’ oldest restaurant operated by the same family in the same location for over eight decades. In 1938, Lawry’s Prime Rib on La Cienega was opened and has remained open since then. It claims to have originated the “Doggy Bag” and serving salad before the main entrée. It is also famous for the Rose Bowl annual Beef Bowl and yes USC has been the greatest participants. Other restaurants owned by the company are Five Crowns, Carvery and Side Door. Lawry’s annually placed a float in the Rose Parade up until recent times when it became too expensive.
Mr. Frank created the Lawry’s seasoning salt in 1938 and the various products produced from that point on numbered in the hundreds. The distinctive Lawry’s logo was developed in 1960 and drawn by Saul Bass, a famous graphic artist. The California Center was an outgrowth of the seasoning business, however since the business was sold, the Center has been closed.
Both father and son have been active Rotarians and members of the Downtown Rotary Club. They reside in Pasadena and take pride in the restaurants, which are known for quality and integrity.