One of the biggest surprises – and announcements – from Mayor Tom Henry’s State of the City address had little to do with city government at all.After serving the city for 41 years, the family-owned Lambro’s Rib & Steak House will close Saturday.
“We just ran out of gas. We tried to keep it open as long as we could,” co-owner Steve Eshcoff said Thursday.
It’s just another victim of the long recession, he said, which has been unusually brutal for the country’s restaurant industry. Restaurants typically are among the first businesses to recover from an economic downturn.
But not this time.
Lambro’s joins a growing list of local, independent restaurants that have closed in the past year, including L’Asiatique, Hartley’s and Opus 24.
“We just couldn’t hang on and wait anymore,” Eshcoff said.
Lambro’s, at 303 E. Tillman Road, is known for its steaks and garlic bread.
Eshcoff’s father, Robert “Bobby” Eshcoff, opened the south-side landmark in 1969. He died in 2006, after spending nearly 50 years in the industry and running several Fort Wayne restaurants.
Steve Eshcoff, who owns the restaurant with his mother, has been involved in Lambro’s operations for more than 30 years. Some employees also had been there more than 30 years, he said.
It was in the summer of 2007 that Eshcoff first noticed a drop in business, which just became worse.
“You have it harder as an independent; you can’t come up with some of those specials the way the chains do,” Eshcoff said.
“I suppose without the recession we might have held on. For special occasions, holidays, we’re always busy, and often on weekends. But the consistency of it kept dropping,” he said.
Location also was a factor in Lambro’s struggles, he said, because diners have plenty of other options. Plus, many of its loyal customers have moved away from the area over the years.
Eshcoff said he doesn’t know yet whether the restaurant will reopen.
Lambro’s is open 5 to 9 p.m. today and Saturday, but reservations are necessary. Call 447-3142 for reservations.
