SHELDON FIREMAN

FIREMAN--Sheldon. New York City - Sheldon "Shelly" Fireman, the visionary restaurateur behind the renowned Fireman Hospitality Group, passed away at age 93, leaving behind a legacy that reshaped dining in New York and beyond. Proudly born and raised in the Bronx, Shelly discovered early on the power of hospitality and good food via his close-knit family. With limited resources, they made sure all meals were happy, healthy, and suffused with familial love. The idea of family was central to Fireman's vision for his restaurants. They were to feel like second homes - not just a meal, but an embrace which, as he liked to say, "reminded you of your grandmother." In fact, to develop his "Brooklyn Diner" menu concept, he collected recipes from the grandmothers of friends and employees, spanning all boroughs and backgrounds. In 1963, he opened his first restaurant, The Hip Bagel in Greenwich Village, which served as a cultural hub for jazz musicians and artists. The restaurant was crucial in cementing the bagel as New York's staple food. Over the next five decades, he built a portfolio of beloved New York institutions -- including but not limited to: Cafe Fiorello, The Redeye Grill, Trattoria Dell'Arte, Brooklyn Diner, Bond 45, and the Brooklyn Delicatessen. He expanded with locations in Washington, D.C., and National Harbor, Maryland. His restaurants were fixtures in cultural neighborhoods: Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Theater District. Many a special evening at the theater was bracketed by a meal with friends and family at one of his restaurants. He did not just serve food, he made memories. He pioneered many unique restaurant concepts, His well-known "supersized" antipasti bar was his trademark, serving wholesome and healthy foods to the New Yorker on-the-go. As Forbes Magazine said "He made vegetables sexy." Shelly's approach to hospitality was unique: disciplined, but personal and warm. Strongly enforced was the "two-minute rule" (guests must be greeted with a smile within two minutes of their arrival), and the "five-foot rule" (any employee passing within five feet of a guest must make eye contact and thank the guest for their presence). Satisfaction wasn't the guest's job to report; it was his establishment's duty to ensure. He believed that every detail of a restaurant should reflect a sense of warmth, welcome, and beauty. Shelly was committed not just to great food and great service, but also had a natural sensibility for art and design. Throughout his career he collaborated with such renowned artists as Red Grooms, Milton Glaser, and Peter Max. Shelly's work continued until the very end - opening a new restaurant in Washington D.C. just last month. He profoundly influenced the lives of so many who worked with him over the years, and played a large role in the mentoring of the next generation of restaurateurs. Those who worked with him know his tenacity, his never-ending work ethic, and extreme commitment to giving more than expected. His influence will echo for generations, and although his passing marks the end of an era, he will continue to nourish countless wonderful experiences and happy memories. He is survived by Marilyn Fireman, and his son John Fireman.