A man dressed in a business suit waits inside the front door of Lamb's Restaurant, 169 S. Main. Soon, another man enters, they shake hands and are shown to a table where they eat lunch and perhaps conduct some business.
It's a scene repeated daily at Lamb's, a Salt Lake landmark for decades.Lamb's will celebrate its 75th anniversary on Tuesday, Feb. 22, according to John Speros, owner and operator.
His father, Ted Speros, who operated the restaurant for many years before his retirement, has decorated the front window with china used in previous years, pictures of the staff, old menus, lamb figurines and other memorabilia to note the anniversary.
Rather than roll back prices to those of previous years, which Ted and John feel would create chaos, they will donate 25 percent of their gross sales during the week to medical institutions and the arts. Scheduled to receive money are the Primary Children's Medical Center, the newborn intensive-care unit at the University of Utah Medical Center, Ronald McDonald House, the Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children and a homeless shelter.
"That way we can give back something to the community," they said.
John has a special feeling for the newborn intensive-care unit at the U. Medical Center because his son was born two months premature and wasn't expected to live. Two months later, however, John brought his son home, and T.J. is now 14 years old.
Lamb's is considered one of the places to eat and meet. Plenty of the area's "movers and shakers" - politicians, government officials, judges, attorneys, bankers and business executives - are virtual fixtures.
The restaurant had its origin in 1919 when on Washington's birthday, Feb. 22, George P. Lamb, a Greek immigrant, started Lamb's Grill Cafe in Logan. Lamb's mother had given a Greek farmhand $100 in gold to take her son to America where there were more opportunities.
When they arrived in New York City, the farmhand took the gold and left Lamb to fend for himself. He worked for a time and eventually came to Salt Lake City in 1910. He got a job and later went to Logan to work for the Commercial Grill as a waiter.
Ted said owners of the Commercial Grill were in financial trouble, so a local banker encouraged Lamb to take it over. Lamb spent $30,000 to remodel the facility, staying there until 1939. Another banker, who told Lamb about the Golden Lion Cafe in Salt Lake City that had gone bankrupt, persuaded the restaurateur to move there.
He called the new establishment The Grill Cafe, and he still has the sign in today's Lamb's. Lamb's is located beneath the Herald Building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and was built in 1905 to house the Herald Newspaper.
Born in Bingham Canyon, Ted graduated from high school in 1934 and went to work for Latches Coffee Shop at 334 S. Main. He had never been in a restaurant before and made 10 cents per hour busing tables. Ted recalls that few customers left tips: The nation was mired in the Great Depression.
In 1941, Lamb told Ted he needed some help at Lamb's and in 1942 offered the newcomer a partnership. Lamb retired from the restaurant business in 1973 and was 94 when he died in 1985.
The restaurant has remained virtually unchanged since 1939. The booths, tables, wainscot, backbar, counters, counter stools, light fixtures and steam table in use today came from a restaurant previously located on Main Street, Gunn's Cafe.
The chairs in the main dining room were imported from Austria by Lamb in the 1920s. In 1946, the name was changed to Lamb's Grill Cafe and changed to Lamb's Restaurant in 1970 when remodeling was done. Ted bought the Herald Building in 1982. It has since been remodeled into office space and is leased to Weyher Construction Co.
Ted, now 79, retired 12 years ago, turning the business over to John. Ted still shows up every day and helps seat guests.
John, who will be 50 the same day the restaurant turns 75, was born in Salt Lake City. As a youngster, he worked in the restaurant. He received a bachelor's degree in 1966 and a master's in 1968, both from the University of Utah.
John worked on his doctorate degree in pharmacology at the University of Arizona and the University of Pennsylvania and later was employed by Smith Kline French Co. doing research in pharmaceuticals. He developed an allergy to the animals used in the research, returned to Salt Lake City in 1973 and started working with his father in the restaurant.
John recalls the time he was 12 years old and left in charge of the restaurant. He caught a waitress stealing bread so he fired her, an action that was upheld by his father. John has worked in the kitchen, helped with the books, learned how to cook, helped with the payroll and washed dishes in the many years he has been associated with the business.
With Jerry Sanchez as the chef, Lamb's features mostly American cooking with Greek seasoning. The restaurant has a varied menu and sometimes offers french-fried calamari (squid) and lamb shank with rice pilaf. The restaurant is often the scene area residents choose to announce they are running for political office.
Why has Lamb's become the oldest continually operated restaurant in Utah? John said location may be the key: The restaurant enjoys a continual influx of people from surrounding buildings. Also, the Salt Palace Convention Center, the Capitol Theater, Promised Valley Playhouse and the Delta Center have helped.
John said Lamb's has avoided trendy foods, the staff is trained to provide good food, the cooks are consistent and the servers provide good service.
Will the restaurant remain in the family? John said his isn't pushing son T.J. into the business. Naturally, only time will tell.