Founder of Jerry's Drive-In Chain Dies.
"Lexington (AP) Restaurant executive Jerome Mitchell Lederer died after suffering a heart attack Sunday night.
Lederer operated a chain of 41 restaurants (Jerry's Drive-In) in seven states and maintained general offices in Lexington. He came here last week from his home at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on a business trip.
A native of Louisville, Lederer entered the restaurant business in Shelbyville in 1929 and in the 1930s opened a chain of restaurants in Lexington. He founded his present chain in 1946.
Since 1946, he presented a trophy to the outstanding senior on the University of Kentucky football and basketball team. He lived in Lexington 25 years before moving to Florida five years ago."
Park City Daily News (Bowling Green) 2-18-63.
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The history of Jerry's Drive-Ins can be traced to 1929, when Jerome Lederer, the company founder, opened a six-seat hamburger stand he called the White Tavern Shoppe in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The concept proved popular and thrived throughout the Great Depression. Altogether, 13 White Tavern Shoppes were in existence when World War II came along and claimed ten of them because of shortages of meat, sugar, and manpower.
Lederer regrouped in 1946, establishing his company as Jerrico Inc. and introducing a new restaurant in Lexington, called Jerry's Five and Dime, reflecting the new establishment's focus on promoting 15-cent roast beef sandwiches. In 1947, realizing that people were not willing to pay that much for a roast beef sandwich, Lederer converted Jerry's menu to focus on hamburgers.
As he rebuilt his company, Lederer hired Warren W. Rosenthal to manage his restaurants in 1948. The two men reportedly met when Rosenthal rented a room from Lederer while attending the University of Kentucky. Although Rosenthal initially considered careers in retailing and in life insurance, he eventually accepted Lederer's invitation to join him in the restaurant business. Over time, Lederer sold one third of the company to Rosenthal with the option to buy the remainder upon Lederer's death. Soon the two men were looking for a restaurant concept they could duplicate across the country. They tried new menu concepts at Jerry's by adapting food service ideas borrowed from restaurants in other locations.
Jerrico's timing was perfect, as the popularity of eating away from home and the growth of the restaurant business in general was just beginning. By 1957, Jerrico was operating seven Jerry's Restaurants and was one of the first companies to use the franchise concept as a means of stimulating growth. Rosenthal, who had been made chief executive officer of Jerrico upon Lederer's retirement in 1957, eventually served as president when he gained ownership of the company upon Lederer's death in 1963. At that time, the company had grown to 41 locations, both owned and franchised.
"Lexington (AP) Restaurant executive Jerome Mitchell Lederer died after suffering a heart attack Sunday night.
Lederer operated a chain of 41 restaurants (Jerry's Drive-In) in seven states and maintained general offices in Lexington. He came here last week from his home at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on a business trip.
A native of Louisville, Lederer entered the restaurant business in Shelbyville in 1929 and in the 1930s opened a chain of restaurants in Lexington. He founded his present chain in 1946.
Since 1946, he presented a trophy to the outstanding senior on the University of Kentucky football and basketball team. He lived in Lexington 25 years before moving to Florida five years ago."
Park City Daily News (Bowling Green) 2-18-63.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The history of Jerry's Drive-Ins can be traced to 1929, when Jerome Lederer, the company founder, opened a six-seat hamburger stand he called the White Tavern Shoppe in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The concept proved popular and thrived throughout the Great Depression. Altogether, 13 White Tavern Shoppes were in existence when World War II came along and claimed ten of them because of shortages of meat, sugar, and manpower.
Lederer regrouped in 1946, establishing his company as Jerrico Inc. and introducing a new restaurant in Lexington, called Jerry's Five and Dime, reflecting the new establishment's focus on promoting 15-cent roast beef sandwiches. In 1947, realizing that people were not willing to pay that much for a roast beef sandwich, Lederer converted Jerry's menu to focus on hamburgers.
As he rebuilt his company, Lederer hired Warren W. Rosenthal to manage his restaurants in 1948. The two men reportedly met when Rosenthal rented a room from Lederer while attending the University of Kentucky. Although Rosenthal initially considered careers in retailing and in life insurance, he eventually accepted Lederer's invitation to join him in the restaurant business. Over time, Lederer sold one third of the company to Rosenthal with the option to buy the remainder upon Lederer's death. Soon the two men were looking for a restaurant concept they could duplicate across the country. They tried new menu concepts at Jerry's by adapting food service ideas borrowed from restaurants in other locations.
Jerrico's timing was perfect, as the popularity of eating away from home and the growth of the restaurant business in general was just beginning. By 1957, Jerrico was operating seven Jerry's Restaurants and was one of the first companies to use the franchise concept as a means of stimulating growth. Rosenthal, who had been made chief executive officer of Jerrico upon Lederer's retirement in 1957, eventually served as president when he gained ownership of the company upon Lederer's death in 1963. At that time, the company had grown to 41 locations, both owned and franchised.
Founder of Jerry's Drive-In Chain Dies.
"Lexington (AP) Restaurant executive Jerome Mitchell Lederer died after suffering a heart attack Sunday night.
Lederer operated a chain of 41 restaurants (Jerry's Drive-In) in seven states and maintained general offices in Lexington. He came here last week from his home at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on a business trip.
A native of Louisville, Lederer entered the restaurant business in Shelbyville in 1929 and in the 1930s opened a chain of restaurants in Lexington. He founded his present chain in 1946.
Since 1946, he presented a trophy to the outstanding senior on the University of Kentucky football and basketball team. He lived in Lexington 25 years before moving to Florida five years ago."
Park City Daily News (Bowling Green) 2-18-63.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The history of Jerry's Drive-Ins can be traced to 1929, when Jerome Lederer, the company founder, opened a six-seat hamburger stand he called the White Tavern Shoppe in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The concept proved popular and thrived throughout the Great Depression. Altogether, 13 White Tavern Shoppes were in existence when World War II came along and claimed ten of them because of shortages of meat, sugar, and manpower.
Lederer regrouped in 1946, establishing his company as Jerrico Inc. and introducing a new restaurant in Lexington, called Jerry's Five and Dime, reflecting the new establishment's focus on promoting 15-cent roast beef sandwiches. In 1947, realizing that people were not willing to pay that much for a roast beef sandwich, Lederer converted Jerry's menu to focus on hamburgers.
As he rebuilt his company, Lederer hired Warren W. Rosenthal to manage his restaurants in 1948. The two men reportedly met when Rosenthal rented a room from Lederer while attending the University of Kentucky. Although Rosenthal initially considered careers in retailing and in life insurance, he eventually accepted Lederer's invitation to join him in the restaurant business. Over time, Lederer sold one third of the company to Rosenthal with the option to buy the remainder upon Lederer's death. Soon the two men were looking for a restaurant concept they could duplicate across the country. They tried new menu concepts at Jerry's by adapting food service ideas borrowed from restaurants in other locations.
Jerrico's timing was perfect, as the popularity of eating away from home and the growth of the restaurant business in general was just beginning. By 1957, Jerrico was operating seven Jerry's Restaurants and was one of the first companies to use the franchise concept as a means of stimulating growth. Rosenthal, who had been made chief executive officer of Jerrico upon Lederer's retirement in 1957, eventually served as president when he gained ownership of the company upon Lederer's death in 1963. At that time, the company had grown to 41 locations, both owned and franchised.
"Lexington (AP) Restaurant executive Jerome Mitchell Lederer died after suffering a heart attack Sunday night.
Lederer operated a chain of 41 restaurants (Jerry's Drive-In) in seven states and maintained general offices in Lexington. He came here last week from his home at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on a business trip.
A native of Louisville, Lederer entered the restaurant business in Shelbyville in 1929 and in the 1930s opened a chain of restaurants in Lexington. He founded his present chain in 1946.
Since 1946, he presented a trophy to the outstanding senior on the University of Kentucky football and basketball team. He lived in Lexington 25 years before moving to Florida five years ago."
Park City Daily News (Bowling Green) 2-18-63.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The history of Jerry's Drive-Ins can be traced to 1929, when Jerome Lederer, the company founder, opened a six-seat hamburger stand he called the White Tavern Shoppe in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The concept proved popular and thrived throughout the Great Depression. Altogether, 13 White Tavern Shoppes were in existence when World War II came along and claimed ten of them because of shortages of meat, sugar, and manpower.
Lederer regrouped in 1946, establishing his company as Jerrico Inc. and introducing a new restaurant in Lexington, called Jerry's Five and Dime, reflecting the new establishment's focus on promoting 15-cent roast beef sandwiches. In 1947, realizing that people were not willing to pay that much for a roast beef sandwich, Lederer converted Jerry's menu to focus on hamburgers.
As he rebuilt his company, Lederer hired Warren W. Rosenthal to manage his restaurants in 1948. The two men reportedly met when Rosenthal rented a room from Lederer while attending the University of Kentucky. Although Rosenthal initially considered careers in retailing and in life insurance, he eventually accepted Lederer's invitation to join him in the restaurant business. Over time, Lederer sold one third of the company to Rosenthal with the option to buy the remainder upon Lederer's death. Soon the two men were looking for a restaurant concept they could duplicate across the country. They tried new menu concepts at Jerry's by adapting food service ideas borrowed from restaurants in other locations.
Jerrico's timing was perfect, as the popularity of eating away from home and the growth of the restaurant business in general was just beginning. By 1957, Jerrico was operating seven Jerry's Restaurants and was one of the first companies to use the franchise concept as a means of stimulating growth. Rosenthal, who had been made chief executive officer of Jerrico upon Lederer's retirement in 1957, eventually served as president when he gained ownership of the company upon Lederer's death in 1963. At that time, the company had grown to 41 locations, both owned and franchised.
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