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| Arnie Morton opened his first restaurant, the Walton Walk, between Rush Street and Michigan Avenue in the 1950s. This paved the way for a partnership with Hugh Hefner and Victor Lownes. | |||
| Morton was the right hand man of Hugh Hefner when he launched the Playboy Empire on February 29, 1960 . Being so, he was involved in the opening of the first Playboy Club with Hefner and Victor Lownes in 1960. He served as Executive Vice President of Playboy Enterprises where he developed the worlwide chain of Playboy Clubs. | Morton was the right hand man of Hugh Hefner when he launched the Playboy Empire on February 29, 1960 . Being so, he was involved in the opening of the first Playboy Club with Hefner and Victor Lownes in 1960. He served as Executive Vice President of Playboy Enterprises where he developed the worlwide chain of Playboy Clubs. | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| Morton met Klaus Fritsch while working alongside ]. Then, Fritsch was food and beverage director of the Playboy CLubs. Morton left Playboy in the early 1970s. | |||
| ⚫ | Over the course of 20 years, the partnership of Morton and Fritsch created Arnie's, a landmark of Chicago's Gold Coast; Zorine's and Morton's. In 1978, the partners opened Morton's at the basement of a Near North Side high-rise in Chicago. The menu consisted simply of giant potatoes and large steaks. It was slow at the beginning, but gained a boost when Frank Sinatra ate at the restaurant. This original Morton's became the stepping stone for 65 other Morton's locations in the United States, Hongkong, Singapore and Canada. In the 1970s, other ventures included Arnie's Restaurant and an exclusive Club, Zorine's (discotheque). He developed Chicago's swank East Bank Club and its three restaurants and once teamed with acclaimed chef Jean Banchet to open an elegant French seafood restaurant Zorinne's Club La Mer. | ||
| Morton sold his Morton's Steakhouses in 1987. | Morton sold his Morton's Steakhouses in 1987. | ||
| == Credits == | == Credits == | ||
| Morton is credited as the brains behind the "Taste of Chicago", one of the city's best loved summer festivals. He planted the seed for this food festival when he initiated restaurants' participation for the first time in July 4, 1980 when then Mayor Jane Byrne blocked off Michigan Avenue for the event. Since then, the festival has evolved and been done every year during the Fourth of July. | Morton is credited as the brains behind the "Taste of Chicago", one of the city's best loved summer festivals. He planted the seed for this food festival when he initiated restaurants' participation for the first time in July 4, 1980 when then Mayor Jane Byrne blocked off Michigan Avenue for the event. Since then, the festival has evolved and been done every year during the Fourth of July. | ||
| == External links == | == External links == | ||
Revision as of 04:22, 6 November 2006
Arnold "Arnie" Morton (1922 - 2005) of Chicago was founder of Morton's Restaurant Group/Morton's. He is the father of Peter Morton, owner of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and of Michael Morton, head of the N9NE Group which operates contemporary American steakhouse in Las Vegas, Chicago and Dallas. He is the grandfather of Harry Morton, President and CEO of the Mexican Restauran Chain, Pink Taco.
Personal Life and Background
Arnie Morton was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1922 and grew up in Hyde Park. He graduated from Hyde Park High School and enlisted in the Army in World War II. He saw 8 months of action and arrived in Normandy, France just after D-day. After the war, he attended the University of Alabama where he played football for 2 years.
Morton met Zorine at a Playboy party in 1960 and they married in 1961. They have seven (7) children, 4 daughters and 3 sons, namely: Pam Morton, Amy (Neal) Morton-Levin, Debra (Ben) Morton-Berger, Stephanie Morton, Peter Morton, Michael (Jenna) Morton, and David (Jodi) Morton. His brother is Robert (Rita) Morton.. He has 13 grandchildren.
Arnie Morton's father owned a restaurant on the South Side of Chicago. From the age of 15, Morton bused tables, worked in the kitchen, as well as a wide array of odd jobs. These laid the ground for his work in the 1960's as a founder of the famed Playboy Clubs and Resorts.
Morton died on May 23, 2005 at the age of 83 at a care home in Deerfield, Illinois. He had Alzheimer's Disease and cancer.
In recognition of his significant contributions, a resolution was presented to his family from the House of Representatives of the 94th General Assembly of the State of Illinois "so that his memory may be honored and ever cherished."
Career
Arnie Morton opened his first restaurant, the Walton Walk, between Rush Street and Michigan Avenue in the 1950s. This paved the way for a partnership with Hugh Hefner and Victor Lownes.
Morton was the right hand man of Hugh Hefner when he launched the Playboy Empire on February 29, 1960 . Being so, he was involved in the opening of the first Playboy Club with Hefner and Victor Lownes in 1960. He served as Executive Vice President of Playboy Enterprises where he developed the worlwide chain of Playboy Clubs.
Morton met Klaus Fritsch while working alongside Hugh Hefner. Then, Fritsch was food and beverage director of the Playboy CLubs. Morton left Playboy in the early 1970s.
Over the course of 20 years, the partnership of Morton and Fritsch created Arnie's, a landmark of Chicago's Gold Coast; Zorine's and Morton's. In 1978, the partners opened Morton's at the basement of a Near North Side high-rise in Chicago. The menu consisted simply of giant potatoes and large steaks. It was slow at the beginning, but gained a boost when Frank Sinatra ate at the restaurant. This original Morton's became the stepping stone for 65 other Morton's locations in the United States, Hongkong, Singapore and Canada. In the 1970s, other ventures included Arnie's Restaurant and an exclusive Club, Zorine's (discotheque). He developed Chicago's swank East Bank Club and its three restaurants and once teamed with acclaimed chef Jean Banchet to open an elegant French seafood restaurant Zorinne's Club La Mer.
Morton sold his Morton's Steakhouses in 1987.
Credits
Morton is credited as the brains behind the "Taste of Chicago", one of the city's best loved summer festivals. He planted the seed for this food festival when he initiated restaurants' participation for the first time in July 4, 1980 when then Mayor Jane Byrne blocked off Michigan Avenue for the event. Since then, the festival has evolved and been done every year during the Fourth of July.