Tallichet, David C. Jr. Founder of Specialty Restaurants Corporation. December 20, 1922- October 31, 2007. Born in Dallas, Texas, to David Compton Tallichet Sr. and Margaret Tallichet, David Tallichet grew up during the Great Depression. After completing high school, David studied at the University of the South, University of Texas, and Southern Methodist University. With America's entry into the Second World War, David signed up for military service. Pursuing his love for aviation, David joined the United States Army Air Force and was accepted for flight school where he successfully completed primary, basic, and advanced flight training before being assigned to training on the four-engine Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. After completing training with the Flying Fortress, David was assigned to a crew and they flew a B-17 from the United States to Britain. Once in Britain, he and his crew became part of the 350th Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bomb Group, based at Thorpe Abbot. From this location, David and his crew flew 23 combat missions before the collapse of Germany and V-E Day. David was offered a position during 1948 with the Hilton Hotels Corporation which he accepted. During 1955, David took the position of General Manager of the Lafayette Hotel which was located in Long Beach, California, and owned by Conrad Hilton. This would lead to a further career move that saw David and two partners obtain a lease with the Port of Long Beach and the opening of The Reef Restaurant during 1958. The opening of the Reef Restaurant was a pivotal point for David's Specialty Restaurants Corporation which would go on to encompass over 100 successful restaurants located across the nation. He is generally credited with being one of the industry's true theme-restaurant pioneers; with such ventures as Orange Hill, Pieces of Eight, Ports O' Call, Proud Bird, Castaway, 94th Aero Squadron, Crawdaddy's, Baby Does Matchless Mine, and Shanghai Red's. While increasing his business and starting a family, David never lost his love for aviation and history and during the late 1960s he decided to begin collecting and restoring WWII aircraft to flying condition. As time went by, David would develop the world's largest collection of privately-owned flying WWII aircraft. With Hollywood nearby, David was often called upon to provide historic aircraft for films. He was able to fly his B-17 across the Atlantic to Britain to take part in 1990's Memphis Belle. This film was based upon a popular WWII documentary by William Wyler. David's sister Margaret had married Wyler previously. During this past July, David took his Flying Fortress to an airshow in Michigan where he was honored as the last WWII combat pilot still flying one of these very rare aircraft. David Tallichet is survived and loved by his wife, Carol Margaret Tallichet of Orange, California; daughter, Catherine Ann of Jackson Hole, Wyoming; sons, William Robert (Wife Jasmin; children, Ashley and Catherine) of San Pedro, California; John David (wife, Karen; children, Bryan and Lauren) of Newport Beach, California, and James Lee of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Published in the Orange County Register on 11/7/2007.