NEW YORK —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
“The most important quality a man can have is character,” said Ted Balestreri, co-owner of the Sardine Factory in Monterey, Calif. “And Jerry Berns truly had character. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
“Benjamin Franklin once said ‘The taste of the roast depends on the handshake of the host,’ and Jerry personified that,” he added. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
Known affectionately as “Mr. Jerry,” Berns died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., on Dec. 21 from surgical complications. He was 99. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
Berns spent more than 50 years welcoming international heads of state, entertainment luminaries, the business elite and just about everyone else who came to dine at the “21” Club, which for decades ranked as one of the world’s most prestigious dining establishments. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
“He was the only person on the restaurant scene other than Joe Baum who really had the ability to understand the customers and treat them in the way they wanted to be treated,” said Alan Stillman, chief executive of the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group. “He and Joe were pioneers. They understood the restaurant business, and helped to shape fine dining in this country.” —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
Berns had a remarkable aptitude for attaching names to faces and making people feel at home as soon they stepped through the bronze doors of the famous brownstone at 21 West 52nd St. “He had a voluminous memory for names,” recalled J. Roger Friedman, chairman and chief executive of Lebhar-Friedman Inc., parent company of Nation’s Restaurant News and a longtime patron of the “21” Club. “It was almost frightening.” —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
Berns also gave his time unstintingly to many organizations in the foodservice industry. He was not only active in the New York State Restaurant Association but also served on the board of the National Restaurant Association for nine years, during which he helped to develop the NRA’s Educational Foundation. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
In addition, he served as a trustee of The Culinary Institute of America. In the 1970s he urged the CIA’s directors to move the school from its Yale campus in New Haven, Conn., to its present residence in Hyde Park, N.Y. In recognition of his support, he was one of the first individuals named to the culinary school’s Hall of Fame. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
Berns also helped to create DiRONA—Distinguished Restaurants of North America—the fine-dining organization that got its start as the Travel-Holiday Awards. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
“He was a great industry citizen,” said Fred Sampson, who was hired by Berns in the 1960s to serve as president of the New York State Restaurant Association. “He was one of the guiding lights of the industry.” —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
While his friends and colleagues acknowledge that Berns was born to be a restaurateur, he had other plans for himself when he was younger. Born on Feb. 19, 1907, in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, Herman Jerome Bernfeld attended Columbia University and later the University of Cincinnati, where he earned an undergraduate degree in English. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
He found that he liked Ohio and stayed on after college, serving as the drama critic for The Cincinnati Enquirer. But in 1938 his older brother Charlie and his partner Jack Kriendler asked him to return to New York and join them at the “21” Club, and Berns said yes. “Newspaper pay was not great, and I had a young daughter to support,” he told NRN in 1994, when he was named a Fine Dining Legend. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
The club, which originally opened as a speakeasy on New Year’s Eve in 1929, had evolved over the years into a more respectable sort of destination. Once back in New York, Berns worked in every station at the restaurant, from steward to cashier. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
Bruce Snyder, who served as a general manager at the “21” Club, said Berns’ love for the restaurant industry was both a professional and personal passion. During his years there, he helped to mentor a who’s who of young chefs and other culinary professionals, he said. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
While Berns could be tough when necessary, he will always be remembered as the welcoming host of the “21” Club. Even after the club was sold for $21 million in 1985, Berns could be found a decade later chatting with customers. —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
“You would walk through the door and you would see Jerry,” Balestreri said. “Suddenly, the restaurant became brighter and the food tasted better. He was what hospitality is all about.” —The many friends and admirers of Jerry Berns all remember the genial co-owner and host of the renowned “21” Club in here as being a consummate restaurateur.
