Louis Sherry
Louis Sherry | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date St. Albans, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | June 9, 1926 (aged 70) |
| Occupation(s) | Restaurateur, caterer, confectioner, hotelier |
| Known for | Louis Sherry candies and ice cream; association with Sherry-Netherland Hotel |
Louis Sherry (June 6, 1856 – June 9, 1926) was a prominent American restaurateur, caterer, confectioner, and hotelier active during the Gilded Age and the early decades of the 20th century. His legacy is strongly associated with a prestigious line of candies and ice cream, as well as the famed Sherry-Netherland Hotel located in New York City.
Early life
Born in St. Albans, Vermont, Sherry came from a family of French-Canadian heritage. Early accounts mention his work experience as a hotel busboy in Montreal. Subsequently, he relocated to New York City, where he built his career in the restaurant sector beginning at the Hotel Brunswick (situated at 26th Street and Fifth Avenue) and later served as the restaurant manager at the Hotel Elberon in Elberon, New Jersey.
Restaurants
In approximately 1880, after saving $1,300 during his tenure at Hotel Elberon, Sherry opened his inaugural restaurant in New York City at the intersection of 38th Street and Sixth Avenue. Despite initial challenges, his emphasis on elegant "dainty decorations" and innovative service methods attracted "The Four Hundred"—the city's social aristocracy. To meet increasing patronage, he subsequently moved to larger locations first at 37th Street and Fifth Avenue, then later to 44th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Confections
Following the advent of Prohibition in 1919, Sherry shuttered his well-known restaurant and ballroom, venues that had been central to New York’s high society gatherings. He then established Louis Sherry Inc., capitalized with $400,000, shifting focus toward catering alongside confectionery and pastry production. A new retail outlet was launched at 58th Street and Fifth Avenue, complemented by a strategic partnership with the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel for candy distribution and catering contracts. Over time, ownership of Louis Sherry Inc. came under substantial influence from "Boomer-duPont interests," referring to Lucius M. Boomer, chairman of the Waldorf-Astoria, and industrial magnate T. Coleman du Pont.
Sherry-Netherland Hotel
Although carrying his name, Louis Sherry himself did not participate directly in the development or management of the iconic Sherry-Netherland Hotel. The original Netherland Hotel was constructed around 1892 for William Waldorf Astor. In 1924, Frederick Brown acquired it with plans to convert it into retail space and apartments. Nearly one year after Sherry’s passing, in March 1927, the nearly finished new Netherland property was purchased by Louis Sherry Inc. through The Sherry-Netherland Company. By this time, control rested with Boomer and du Pont via their "Boomer-du Pont Properties Corporation," which also held ownership of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Personal interests
Sherry had a passion for horseback riding and was a dedicated wine enthusiast. His final resting place is at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City.
References