Background
Louis was born probably in 1856 in St. Albans, Vermont, United States. His father was a carpenter, born in France; his mother was of New England Anglo-Saxon stock.
caterer confectioner restaurateur
Louis was born probably in 1856 in St. Albans, Vermont, United States. His father was a carpenter, born in France; his mother was of New England Anglo-Saxon stock.
There is no information about his education.
Young Sherry, forced by circumstances to seek work at an early age, found a place as boy of all work in a hotel in Montreal, Canada. A year or two later he went to New York and, after a period of hardship, obtained a place as "bus boy" in a large hotel. There he was so punctual and efficient that he was presently promoted to be a waiter. In this position he still further distinguished himself by careful attention to every complaint and suggestion, and by his study of the patrons' personal and gustatory eccentricities.
He was about twenty-two when he was hired by a large hotel at Elberon, New Jersey, then a very fashionable seaside resort, to take charge of its kitchen and dining room during its summer season. He was by this time planning a restaurant and catering business of his own, and during his two summers at Elberon he was promised the patronage of many wealthy New Yorkers, guests at the hotel.
At the end of the second season he had saved $1, 300, and with this capital he opened his first restaurant and confectionery at Thirty-eighth Street and Sixth Avenue, New York, in 1881. From the first he insisted upon the finest of materials and the most careful workmanship in every product of his house, and his motto was, "Never disappoint a patron. " After he had prospered a little, he made journeys to Paris to perfect himself in culinary lore.
A rapidly growing business encouraged him to move in 1890 to a larger and finer place at Thirty-seventh Street and Fifth Avenue. Here the aristocracy of the city favored him so greatly with patronage that in 1898 he moved to still more sumptuous quarters at Forty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue, where he remained twenty years. This last place, with its costly paintings and tapestries and its cellar full of fine wines, represented an investment of $2, 000, 000.
To prepare a dinner for 300 guests, given by a millionaire, he once went to Savannah, Georgia, traveling with his staff in a Pullman sleeper and two baggage cars, carrying all china, linen, food, and decorations with him. On another occasion he sent a staff of twenty to San Francisco, where they took over a private residence for the elder J. P. Morgan's use, and he prepared some elaborate entertainments at which Morgan was host.
When the national prohibition laws went into effect he disposed of his stock of wines to favored customers and closed his restaurant in 1919. He then opened a confectionery and catering business on Park Avenue, which he operated until his death in 1926.
Louis Sherry established Louis Sherry Inc. and launched his first restaurant in New York City with his personal implementation of "dainty decorations" and the "novelties of service". During some thirty years, many of the most elaborate dinners, balls, debuts, and other social, business, and political functions took place at Sherry's, including the Seeley dinner in 1896, C. K. G. Billings' dinner on horseback in 1900. He was also a highly sucessful organizer of catering and the manufacture and sale of candies and pastries. His name is typically associated with an upscale brand of candy and ice cream, and also the Sherry-Netherland Hotel in New York City.
He married Marie Bertha Sherry and a son.
