Lawry's The Prime Rib
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Founder | Lawrence L. "Lawry" Frank, Walter Van de Kamp |
| Headquarters | Beverly Hills, California , United States |
Area served | United States, international locations (past and present) |
Key people | Richard R. Frank (president and CEO) |
| Products | Prime rib, Lawry's Seasoned Salt, other seasonings and flavor enhancers |
| Owner | McCormick & Company (seasoned salt brand) |
| Website | lawrysonline |
Lawry's is a high-end gourmet restaurant chain recognized for its focus on prime rib and the proprietary seasoned salt, Lawry's Seasoned Salt, which was created by its founders and is currently owned by McCormick & Company.
The flagship location in Beverly Hills, situated on La Cienega Boulevard, was established in 1938 by Lawrence L. "Lawry" Frank and Walter Van de Kamp. Since then, the brand has grown both nationally and internationally. The enterprise continues to be family-run, with Richard R. Frank, the grandson of Lawrence Frank, holding the roles of president and CEO.[1]
Originally, Lawry's carvery offered a single main dish: standing rib roast. Although the menu now includes options such as vegetarian selections and lobster tails, it still features its hallmark tableside carved roast beef served from a large metal cart.
History
In 1922, Frank and Van de Kamp launched their business with the opening of the Tam O'Shanter Inn located in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, which remains under family management at its initial site.[1]
Lawry's The Prime Rib debuted on La Cienega Boulevard in 1938. The restaurant moved in 1947 to a nearby modernist structure designed by Wayne McAllister, before returning to its original address in a new building in 1993. The former McAllister-designed location now operates as The Stinking Rose.
Starting in 1956, Lawry's began providing prime rib dinners for the competing teams of the Rose Bowl Game, creating the yearly "Lawry's Beef Bowl" event that later expanded to include Cotton Bowl participants in Dallas.
The chain expanded with new venues opening in Chicago’s River North district (1974), Dallas (1983), and Las Vegas (1997). Its international presence began with locations in Jakarta (1997), Singapore (1999), Tokyo (2001), Taipei (2002), Hong Kong (2006), Shanghai and Osaka (2008), and Seoul (2013). Nonetheless, the Dallas, Chicago, Jakarta, and Shanghai restaurants have since ceased operations.[2][3]
Seasoned salt
During his time managing the Tam O'Shanter, Frank formulated Lawry's Seasoned Salt specifically for use at his establishment. When Lawry's opened The Prime Rib on La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills in 1938, it began retailing this distinctive seasoned salt, marking the start of a food products line that now encompasses an array of seasonings and flavor enhancers. Ownership of the brand transferred to Lipton/Unilever in 1979 before being acquired by McCormick & Company in 2008.
The Prime Rib is celebrated for its roasted prime rib beef accompanied by Yorkshire pudding and its unique "spinning salad," an offering present since the restaurant’s inception in 1938 and served alongside every entrée. At a time when salads commonly consisted of fruit or gelatin, Lawry's was among the first to introduce a green salad as an essential part of the meal. This salad is prepared tableside by tossing greens over ice in a metal bowl while dressing it with their "Vintage classic dressing with sherry wine." Although this dressing can be purchased at the restaurant itself, it is not available through retail outlets.