This year we are celebrating our multi-generational businesses. Each month we will recognize a business that has served our community for two or more generations. We want to honor their commitment to our community and their success. 

Lamb's Grill Cafe

John Speros, Owner and Vest Pocket Member

During a recent weekday lunch, nearly every booth and linen-covered table was filled with diners enjoying bowls of hot soup, toasted club sandwiches and the ever-popular salmon filet special.

"It has been really quite remarkable how our business has continued to flourish," said owner John Speros.

There will be no grand birthday celebration for the downtown Salt Lake City business. (Lamb's is closed on Sundays.)

Speros calculated that over the past nine decades Lamb's has served about 10 million people. No doubt George P. Lamb, the Greek immigrant who founded the Cafe in Logan in 1919, would be impressed. Lamb moved the restaurant to its current location at 169 S. Main, in 1939. Speros' father, Ted, who worked at Kennecott, started out washing dishes part time in the evenings, later becoming the manager. In 1941, he became Lamb's partner.

John Speros took over operations from his father in 1977. Customers say it's Speros' dedication, attention to detail and ability to make everyone feel like a valued friend that is the secret to the restaurant's longevity. A large, reasonably-priced menu that's reliable and consistent also helps.

From the lamb shanks and lentil soup to the venerable rice pudding, "seventy-five percent of the menu was in force in 1919," Speros said.

The historic Herald Building, which Speros owns outright, hasn't changed much either. It has been upgraded and renovated through out the years but the long counter, the wood booths and the antique fixtures have remained.

Speros said luck may also have played a part in Lamb's success. The restaurant barely survived the downtown beautification on Main Street in the mid-to-late 1970s. And if the restaurant had been on different block to the south or west, redevelopment projects likely would have gobbled up the building. Congratulations John for a multi-generational business success!

Congratulations John for a multi-generational business success!