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TO RECOGNIZE GROUCHO'S DELI AT THE CELEBRATION OF ITS SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY AND TO CONGRATULATE THE BUSINESS ON THREE QUARTERS OF A CENTURY OF OUTSTANDINGLY SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURIAL ENDEAVORS.
Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to learn that Groucho's Deli, an icon among restaurants in the Midlands of South Carolina and beyond, turns seventy-five years old in 2016; and
Whereas, the origin of Groucho's, one of Columbia's oldest eating establishments, goes back to the late 1800s in Philadelphia, where a little boy's father was killed in an accident. Because the child's mother became ill, she sent some of her children to be cared for by relatives. The little boy, who was difficult to handle, spent time in a Catholic orphanage, where a woman who ran the kitchen kept him occupied by teaching him to make potato salad, cole slaw, and Russian dressings. That little boy was Harold "Groucho" Miller, who in 1941 arrived in Columbia and opened a delicatessen at Lady and Main streets. The place was called Miller's; and
Whereas, the business became known as Groucho's Deli because Harold looked so much like the American comedian and film star Groucho Marx that customers took to calling him that. Groucho sold cheeses and meats, including escargot, rattlesnake, salami, and tongue. The deli thrived, and Groucho gave back to the community. He was a big supporter of Easter Seals' annual Buck-A-Cup campaign to raise funds for handicapped children; and
Whereas, in 1948, the deli and its generous, larger-than-life owner moved from downtown to Five Points. In 1965, Groucho's son, Ivan, took over management of the restaurant. His wife, Faye Miller, said Ivan gave up his dream of being a teacher "because we couldn't abandon the family business"; and
Whereas, Bruce Miller, Ivan's son and, with his mother, Faye, present co-owner of Groucho's Deli, grew up with the sandwich shop. Bruce worked the cash register when he was a youngster, and his father taught him to try to pay compliments to ladies who came to the register for check-out. Ivan was known for being a wonderful storyteller who sometimes frowned upon customers who tried to tweak an order; and
Whereas, in time, Bruce took another big step in the evolution of the venerable deli: franchising. Today, there are thirty Groucho's restaurants in the Carolinas. Bruce attests that the family's secrets of success work over the long term. He says, "The menu is the same at every deli, the famous Formula 45 sauce is the same at every deli, and every deli is expected to do its part in support of the community. [The business has] been run by multiple generations of family, and multiple generations of family eat here. We have a strong team and a high-quality, never-changing menu"; and
Whereas, Groucho's fans are happy to note that Bruce's two children are making their way in the family business. Emma, who is ten, began sorting money and making deposits at age five. Now, she runs food, buses tables, and takes phone-in orders. Her older brother, sixteen-year-old Max, did the same thing at her age. Now he runs the cash register, just as his dad did, back in the day; and
Whereas, appreciative of its significant contributions to the prosperity of the Palmetto State, the members of the House of Representatives take great pleasure in honoring Groucho's Deli and its dynamic entrepreneurial hearts, Bruce Miller and Faye Miller, on the occasion of the company's seventy-fifth anniversary. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize Groucho's Deli at the celebration of its seventy-fifth anniversary and congratulate the business on three quarters of a century of outstandingly successful entrepreneurial endeavors.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to Groucho's Deli.
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