About a dozen restaurants in Los Angeles can boast a 100-year-old legacy but only one has held steadfastly in the same location and under the original founding family’s ownership: the Tam O’Shanter.
The Tam O’Shanter – originally called Montgomery’s Country Inn for its first three years in business – opened in 1922 and was founded by Lawrence Frank and Walter Van de Kamp, the brothers-in-law duo that would go on to create Lawry’s Restaurants Inc.
While it began as a quaint spot to grab coffee and a burger, it wasn’t long before the Atwater Village staple became the hangout of Hollywood greats, such as John Wayne and Walt Disney. To this day, Disney has a signature drink named after his go-to table at the Tam: Table 31 which consists of whiskey, apple brandy, elderflower liqueur, bitters and lemon.
For Ryan O’Melveney Wilson, chief executive of the Lawry’s franchise and great-grandson to Frank, the Tam holds particular sentimental value as it was the very spot that sparked his career having worked there as a line chef in college. From there he was hooked, mesmerized by the “collaborative and high energy environment, both with guests and with our coworkers,” he said. “It was contagious.
“The Tam is a darling of the family,” Wilson continued. “… It’s a cherished landmark with so much tradition for our family, but for the greater Los Angeles community, too… It’s an incredible and dynamic and wonderful history to have the opportunity to manage.”
His great-grandfather’s vision to have the Tam be more than just a place to eat but somewhere to make memories and experience life is showcased in the details of the place. Designed by Harry Oliver, a renowned artist and set designer, the Tam was built in storybook architecture and contains “meaningful pieces throughout,” Wilson said, making note of the historic artifacts over the years as well as the Scottish plaids hanging on the walls.
“Lawrence in particular was a character from what I’ve heard in the stories my grandfather told me,” Wilson said. “He loved theatrics, loved presentation and could be pretty bombastic and a little irascible at times, but he loved to perform, and you see that in the Tam.”
That aspect of the Tam has lived on. Just last month for the holiday season, the restaurant sent carolers from table to table who made rounds singing holiday classics as guests enjoyed the ambience.
An evolving menu
As Frank and Van de Kamp established the Lawry’s franchise, the Tam adopted some of its offerings, such as the famous prime rib, as well as a bit more sophistication.
And as more time went on, the Tam made adjustments to stay relevant while also understanding that it had to maintain the essence upon which it had built its reputation.
Particularly over the last two decades, Wilson has found that the dining community here in L.A. has raised the bar in terms of expectations, favoring diversity in menu offerings.
“It’s striking the balance between our legacy experience and our legacy guests and wanting to have more or less the similar product experiences they’ve had for 30 to 40 years, but done with today’s techniques and today’s recipes and ingredients,” Wilson said. “It’s a wonderful, challenging – at times, frustrating – creative process.”
The root of this challenging feat lies within the restaurant’s ability to offer complexity in its dining while dealing with the repercussions of increased labor and ingredients costs.
Like most restaurants today, Wilson said the Tam is working on delivering fair prices to customers without taking too big of margin hits.
While the restaurant does its best to renovate and meet the needs of a variety of dietary preferences, Wilson knows it’s impossible to please everyone.
“My great-grandfather, Lawrence, always used to say, ‘You can’t be everything to everyone,’” Wilson said.
As a family legacy business, Wilson said he is mindful of how to grow the business not only in the present but also setting up the next generations for success, saying he prefers to take the long road.
“We have been very patient with our capital, and I think that is a reality of our industry, particularly in California, in a margin society,” Wilson said. “I’m in the mindset of building wealth long term and success long term and (making) these businesses be sustainable long term, so we have to be patient with our capital investments.”
Star-studded reputation
Just as its menu has evolved, so has the Tam’s Hollywood influence. Once a behind-the-scenes spot for off-duty Hollywood icons to hangout, the Tam now finds itself on screen, appearing on television shows including “Mad Men,” “Glee” and “The Office.”
With its historically rich vibe, Wilson finds value in the Tam being used as a backdrop in media such as “Mad Men,” which is set in the 1960s. In the context of that time period, the Tam gives off a “mid-century modern” vibe, Wilson said.
Being featured in media can be a great stream of revenue, Wilson said, adding that he is always open to opportunities so long as the projects mesh well with the Tam’s standards and are consistent with the family brand.
“I believe in the greater picture of hospitality, and people create great feelings and memories in these spaces,” Wilson said. “So maybe there’s some correlation to directors and writers wanting to use the Tam’s space to evoke those same sorts of good feelings in a picture.”
